Tigers softball splits on opening day

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (Feb. 07, 2010) – It was a perfect day for a ball game. Skies were blue, the air was crisp and the sun was shinning down on Bell Field as Occidental College took on Patten University in their 2010 season opener. The Tigers barely lost game one, 6-5, but used an impressive comeback in the second to win 4-3 and earn an opening day split.

In game one of the twin bill, the Tigers took off swinging in the first. Junior, Olympia Powell, doubled down the left field line to get the game started. She quickly advanced to third on a wild pitch and senior, Alyssa Smith, collected an infield RBI single to go up 1-0 early.

The Lions were quick to answer, tying up the game in the next half inning. Patten capitalized on a few walks and a wild pitch, pushing one run across the plate, but that was all they would get as Smith fielded a ground ball and went home with it and Alyssa Escalante tagged out the runner for the first out of the inning. Shanna Yackel then got two quick outs with a pop up and a line out to third base to end the inning.

While Occidental was held scoreless in the third, the Lions took advantage of an error, scoring a run and taking the lead for the first time.

After regrouping, the Tigers came out fierce in the fourth, as junior, Stephanie Egan, blasted a line-drive homerun over the left field fence to start the inning and knot the game back up.

In an exciting fifth inning, both teams managed to put up three runs.

Again trailing, Powell, Chavez and Smith all singled, loading up the bases for the Tigers. Egan lifted a sacrifice fly to center field and Powell ran home for the score. With two outs, junior, Tasha Serna-Gallegos, singled to left field, giving her two RBI’s for the Black and Orange, to tie up the game once again.

The Lions and Tigers battled to the end. In the top of the seventh Patten’s Penelope Crouse-Feehan hit a no-doubt-about-it homerun to deep left center field, which was ultimately the game-winning hit. Patten looked to add an insurance run to their lead but Powell bare-handed a single to center field and fired a strike home where Escalante tagged out Jarica Blakley for the final out of the inning.

Yackel, a sophomore, took the mound for the Tigers giving up five hits and five runs in the first five innings. Senior, Kimi Elguea, pitched two innings and was tagged with the loss. Nicole Scott, who threw a complete game, was the winning pitcher for the Lions. Oxy batters collected eight hits off the pitcher.

In the second game of the series, the momentum shifted for the Tigers, as Smith tripled to start the second inning. Freshman, Kristin Sullivan, flied out to centerfield, scoring Smith, giving Sullivan her first RBI as a Tiger.

Oxy kept the lead going into the third. Chavez, the Tigers’ junior shortstop, cracked a single down the right field line to start the inning. She then advanced to second on a single to center field by Escalante. Up next, sophomore, Nicole Hannasch reached on a fielder’s choice, sending Chavez to third; bringing up Smith who singled in Chavez.

Rallying back, Patten got on the board in the fourth. With a runner on first, the Lions hit a double, scoring one to cut the Oxy lead in half.

In the bottom of the fifth the Lions committed back-to-back errors allowing the Tigers to add a pair of runs to their total.

Patten (1-1) did not go down without a fight. The bats kept swinging in the sixth and the Lady Lions came up with three hits and two runs to pull the game to 4-3. The Black and Orange did not build any momentum in the sixth, but kept the Lions from scoring with aggressive pitching and a beautiful diving, game-ending catch by freshman right fielder, Patricia Phillimeano.

Freshman, Brittany Vacura, pitched a complete game and came up with her first win for Oxy, giving up only eight hits and three runs. Tierney Estampa took the loss for Patten, pitching six innings and giving up four runs.

Overall today Smith was 4-for-7 with three runs and two RBIs. Powell, Escalante and Noone had two hits apiece and Powell crossed the plate twice.

In the field Smith had 16 putouts and two assists and Chavez had six assists and four putouts at shortstop.

Occidental (1-1) will be back on the field next Saturday, Feb.13, when they travel to Claremont- Mudd-Scripps to play their first pair of Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games beginning at noon.

Article by: Savannah Russell, Sports Information Intern