Feb. 23, 2006
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The University of San Diego softball team (6-3) swept the UC San Diego Tritons (9-6) 16-7, 12-2, on Wednesday evening at Triton Softball Stadium increasing their winning streak to four games going into their Invitational tournament this weekend.
Sophomore Kathleen Bonja, batting third launched her first pitch of the game out of the park for an RBI-homer into left-center field as the toreros took a quick 1-0 lead. The Tritons responded in the bottom of the second inning taking a 4-1 lead over USD.
Both teams battled for the lead when in the top of the sixth inning and the game tied 7-7, the Toreros broke loose with a hit parade scoring nine runs on six hits. Bonja started things off recording a triple down the right field line, her first of the season. Senior Sara Mason singled to the shortstop and advanced to second. Senior Marissa Merchain reached first base on an error allowing Bonja and Mason to score increasing the lead 9-7. Junior Virginia Fritsch hit an RBI single up the middle scoring Merchain.
After four more Torero runs and runners on the corners, Bonja again shot off a three-RBI homer to left-center field to cap the scoring run for a 16-7 final score.
In the night cap game, San Diego held a 4-0 lead through two-and-a-half innings. The Tritons Jenni Habib scored on a Jenny Spencer single. San Diego responded scoring three runs in the fourth inning increasing their lead 7-1.
USD again went to work in the top of the seventh inning scoring five runs on two hits. With the bases juiced, Merchain stepped to the plate with two outs crushing a ball into left-center field for a four-RBI grand slam scoring sophomore Celine Pujol, freshman Kelly Nesseth, and freshman Katie Burk.
Defensively for San Diego, senior pitcher Gina McFarland picks up the win in game one and moves to 2-0 allowing three runs on six hits, no errors, and one strike out in 4.1 innings of work. Senior Erin Harmonson pitched a complete game allowing two runs on three hits, and struck out five Tritons.
Offensively for the Toreros, Bonja hit 6-for-9 scoring six runs and recording five RBI, with one double, one triple, and three homeruns. McFarland hit 3-for-7 with one run, four RBI and a double. Fritsch hit 3-for-4 scoring two runs, three RBI and one homerun.
San Diego gears up for their weekend as they host the USD Invitational which begins Saturday Feb. 25 and 10 am. Prior to the tournament, San Diego will face the Utah State University Aggies on Friday Feb. 24 at 6:00 pm.
