March 12, 2010
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Torero softball team brought an abrupt end to a Notre Dame Fighting Irish 12-game win streak on Friday at the Long Beach State Invitational Friday morning as they won 2-1 thanks to a solo homerun by Jennifer Ellenbeck in the fourth inning.
"I'm incredibly proud of how our team came together to beat Notre Dame," said head coach Melissa McElvain. "It was a huge win for us to beat such a well respected program."
The Toreros fell in their second game against University of Buffalo 5-3 as they move to 5-10 overall on the season.
Facing off against the Irish in game one, San Diego's Allison Stalberger recorded an RBI-single scoring Taylor Hensley. Hensley lead off with a single to the pitcher followed by a sacrifice bunt by Kristen Gensler moving Hensley to second base. Carey Casciola grounded out to shortstop pushing Hensley up to third base when Stalberger to hit an infield single beating out the throw with her hussle to first allowing Hensley to score as the Toreros took the 1-0 lead.
"Our first run was just excellent team offensive production," head coach Melissa McElvain said. "Our lead off hit, the sac bunt, the advance to third on a ground ball and then [Allie Stalberger] showing her speed down the line to beat out throw, that's a great example of team effort to get on the board first."
In the top of the fourth inning, Notre Dame led off with a solo homerun to left field tying the game 1-1. However San Diego would respond in the bottom half of the inning as Jennifer Ellenbeck shot a rocket out of the batter's box to start off the fourth inning as the Toreros took back the lead 2-1.
"Jen's game-winning homerun was huge for the team," McElvain said. "She just played a great game all the way around today."
Ellenbeck pitched a complete game allowing six hits and striking out five batters from Notre Dame.
In game two against the University of Buffalo, San Diego put a run across home plate first during the third inning when the Bulls loaded the bases full of Toreros with Ellenbeck at third base. Gensler was hit by a pitch moving all runners up one base and scoring Ellenbeck. The Bulls tied the game in the fourth inning 1-1, however San Diego answered back when Taylor Hensley hit a two-RBI homerun over left field lifting the Toreros to a 3-1 lead. San Diego struggled defensively in the sixth inning when the Bulls scored four runs to take a 5-3 lead over the Toreros. San Diego got runners on first and second base in the seventh to tie the game but their effort fell short.
Hensley lead the team today offensively hitting 2-for-7 with two runs scored, two RBI, and one homerun. Ellenbeck was 1-for-4 two runs scored, one RBI, and one homerun.
Kaitlin Healy took the loss against Buffalo pitching 5.2 innings and striking out three batters.
The Toreros return for day two of the Long Beach State Tournament on Saturday, March 13 when they face Purdue 9:00 a.m. and UNLV at 1:30 p.m.
