March 9, 2014
Box Score
USD-UC Riverside Box
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The USD Softball team (8-10) closed out the Highlander Classic with a pair of 3-2 victories over Idaho State and UC Riverside on Sunday stretching their win streak to four games. Mary Grabowski hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in extra innings in game one to secure the win over Idaho State and in game two the Toreros scored three early runs in the first two innings and freshman Megan Sabbatini held the Riverside bats at bay in her first career start.
Game one featured a pitching duel between Cassidy Coleman and Idaho State's Jessica Tolmie. Both teams were scoreless entering the sixth inning, but Danielle Mavridis broke the tie with a line drive solo home run to centerfield, her first of the season.
The Bengals answered right back in the bottom of the inning when Terah Blackwell hit a two-run home run to left field to give Idaho State a 2-1 advantage entering the final inning.
The Toreros put on their rally caps and forced the game into extra innings when Dana Prelsnik hit a game-tying RBI sacrifice fly that brought home Sierra Berryessa, who had pinch run for Charly Swanberg after she hit a leadoff double.
In extra innings, with the international tiebreaker in play, Tatum Schultz started the inning at second base. After a wild pitch advanced her to third, Mary Grabowski hit the game-winning sacrifice fly to centerfield to bring home Schultz.
Cassidy Coleman (3-4) went the distance and picked up her third win of the season after allowing two runs on four hits while striking out ten. Coleman went 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three appearances and two starts over the weekend, while holding opponents to a miniscule .123 average and striking out 20 in 16.1 innings.
The Toreros also won game two by a 3-2 score, although this time they were holding off their opponents comeback attempt. USD had four hits in the first inning and scored two runs on a Grabowski RBI single and an Olivia Sandusky RBI double. Riverside got one run back in the bottom of the first on a RBI double to left centerfield against Megan Sabbatini, who was making her first collegiate start. The Toreros scored one more in the second when Caitlin Rooney induced a bases loaded walk. Riverside cut into the lead in the sixth inning. With runners on second and third they hit a RBI sacrifice fly to centerfield. With the tying run on second, Jenny Lahitte relieved Sabbtini and struck out the next two batters.
Riverside would threaten again in the final frame. Lahitte struck out the first two batters, but then issued a walk and allowed a stolen base. With the tying run in scoring position, Lahitte got the final batter to foul out to third base to pick up her first save of the season. Lahitte recorded four of her five outs via strikeout and tied Jennifer Ellenbeck for second on the USD all-time strikeout list.
Sabbatini (1-0) picked up her first win of her career, allowing just two runs on two hits in 5.1 innings pitched.
The Toreros will play their next 22 games at home, beginning with a doubleheader on Thursday against Weber State beginning at 4:00 p.m.
