April 13, 2014
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The USD Softball team (18-19, 3-3) defeated Saint Mary's (17-19, 4-2) 3-2 in ten innings to win the series and pull within a game of first place in the WCC standings. The Toreros held a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning, but the Gaels rallied to tie it and force extra innings. USD won it in the bottom of the tenth inning when Olivia Sandusky scored on a hard hit ball to third base by Caitlin Rooney.
The Gaels broke a 0-0 tie in the top of the fourth inning when pitcher Sarah Lira launched a solo home run over the left-centerfield wall. This was just the second hit of the game for the Gaels.
The Toreros answered right back in the following inning when senior shortstop Kylie Ordos delivered a clutch two out RBI single to rightfield to score pinch runner Morgan Kurtz.
USD took the lead the following inning. Senior catcher Charly Swanberg led off the inning with a single that skipped past the Gaels' leftfielder, allowing her to advance to second. Kylie McNutt pinch-ran for Swanberg and scored on a Dana Prelsnik double to deep left-centerfield.
The Toreros were one out away from winning the game, but the Gaels' Andrea Hazel knocked in the tying run from second base with a line drive to left field to tie it up at 2-2.
USD had a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth inning when they put runners on first and third with one out. Charly Swanberg hit a grounder to first base, but Mary Grabowksi was thrown out at home on a close play. The Gaels' Lujane Mussadi got Dana Prelsnik to ground out in the next at-bat to end the Toreros' threat.
The first two Torero batters were retired in the tenth inning, but then Olivia Sandusky hit a single up the middle to extend her on-base streak to 24 games. With Caitlin Rooney at the plate, Sandusky stole second to put the game-winning run in scoring position. Rooney hit a hard grounder to third base which bounced off Cassidy Szeredy's glove and into shallow leftfield, allowing Sandusky to come around to score the game-winning run.
Cassidy Coleman (9-9) pitched all ten innings to pick up her ninth win of the season. She allowed five hits and walked five batters but stranded 11 runners on base and struck out six. Saint Mary's Lujane Mussadi took the loss, allowing four hits and one run in 5.2 innings pitched.
The Toreros are now 3-3 in conference play, just one game behind BYU, Pacific, and Saint Mary's, who are all 4-2. They will host LMU, who is 1-5 in WCC play, next weekend beginning on Friday at 5:00 p.m.
