March 4, 2016 UIC Box Score
PSU Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The USD softball team (7-10) dropped their first two home games of the season Friday evening at the USD Softball Complex. The Toreros struggled offensively and lost to Illinois-Chicago 5-2 after allowing four runs in extra innings, and then fell to Portland State 3-1 in the nightcap.
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO 5, SAN DIEGO 2 (8 INNINGS)
The Toreros grabbed a lead in the first inning. Tatum Schultz led off the game with a single and was sacrificed to second by Taylor Spence. Schultz would come around to score on a pair of wild pitches.
The Flames threatened in the top of the third with runners on first and third and one out. With the runner on first breaking for second, catcher Mary Grabowski faked the throw to second and picked off the runner on third. A Grace Hernandez strikeout ended the inning.
UIC evened the scored in the top of the fourth with a two out RBI single to right field. The Flames would threaten again in the top of the sixth, putting two runners on with one out, but Hernandez was able to escape the jam with back-to-back groundouts.
Danielle Mavridis doubled to right field with one out in the bottom of the seventh; she then advanced to third on a passed ball. However the Toreros couldn't bring home the winning run, as the Flames' Elaine Heflin struck out the next two USD batters.
In the top of the eighth inning the first two UIC batters reached, prompting Coach McElvain to bring Megan Sabbatini in relief. Sabbatini couldn't stop the bleeding; she walked her first batter and then hit her second, which brought home the go-ahead run. McElvain then re-entered Hernandez, who induced a grounder to Lauren Kane at third, but Kane's throw home pulled Mary Grabowski off the plate, allowing the run to score. The Flames would score two more on a RBI single to center to give them a 5-1 lead.
The Toreros wouldn't go away quietly, putting their first three batters on base in the bottom of the eighth. After Kane struck out, Olivia Sandusky singled down the right field line, bringing a run home and moving all runners up. However the next two Torero batters were retired, ending the USD rally.
Grace Hernandez (3-4), who was nearly flawless through the first seven innings, takes the loss after giving up three runs in eight innings. UIC's Heflin (5-4) allowed two runs on six hits and struck out ten Toreros.
PORTLAND STATE 3, SAN DIEGO 1 Torero starter Megan Sabbatini's wildness cost her a run in the second inning. With two outs, Sabbatini hit PSU's Lexi Goranson, and a wild pitch allowed her to advance to second base. Then Sabbatini tossed another wild pitch in the dirt and the ball bounced down the first base line and Goranson came all the way around from second to score, giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
Sierra Berryessa and Tatum Schultz led off the third with infield singles, but the inning was thwarted when Taylor Spence lined out to rightfield and Berryessa was doubled up at second.
The Vikings added to their lead in the fourth inning with a two out RBI single, giving them a 2-0 lead.
The Toreros cut in to the deficit in the top of the sixth inning. With runners on second and third, pinch runner Shannon McKeon scored on a wild pitch. The Vikings threw another wild pitch, but this time they got the runner out at the plate.
The Vikings quickly pushed their lead back to two runs with a solo home run to left by Candice Orozco.
Megan Sabbatini (2-5) took the loss. She struck out seven but gave up three runs on eight hits. The Vikings' Meagan Hendrix (2-3) earned the win, allowing just one run on five hits.
The Toreros continue the San Diego Classic I Saturday with games against Pittsburgh (2:00 p.m.) and No. 9/11 Texas A&M (4:30 p.m.).
