Report by LBSU
The Long Beach State softball team (0-2) was unable to get in the win column on its opening day as the 49ers fell to Loyola Marymount and Illinois at the Sportco Kick-Off Classic in Las Vegas.
The Beach dropped a narrow 4-3 decision to LMU in an eight-inning affair, before suffering a 14-4 defeat at the hands of the Fighting Illini.
Loyola Marymount 4, Long Beach State 3 (8 innngs)
Freshman Nalani St. Germain led The Beach in the opener against Loyola Marymount, going 3-for-4, with a homerun, double and two RBI. Senior Ashley Levine also had an RBI double.
Sophomore Taylor Petty (0-1) went the distance in the circle, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, while striking out five.
The Lions dented the scoreboard in the top of the first inning as J.J. Hartung led off with a hit and eventually came around to score on an RBI single by Sam Fischer.
LMU (2-1) added another run on two hits in the fourth before The Beach responded in the bottom half of the inning. Senior Kristen Pocock reached on an infield single and with two outs, Levine connected for a double to the gap in right center to cut the Lions’ lead in half.
The 49ers pulled ahead in the fifth inning as freshman Bree Stephan led off with a double. St. Germain then gave LBSU the advantage with her third hit of the game, this one a homerun to center field.
Loyola Marymount quickly tied it up in the top of the sixth, however, when Kelly Sarginson doubled home Fischer.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, Hartung was placed on second to start the eighth inning for LMU. After advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt, she came around to score what proved to be the game-winner on a 49er error.
Illinois 14, Long Beach State 4 (5 innings)
Illinois used a pair of big innings to run away with a 14-4 victory over Long Beach State in the 49ers’ second game of the Sportco Kick-Off Classic Saturday afternoon.
The Beach fell to 0-2 on the season, while the Fighting Illini remained perfect at 4-0.
Freshman Nalani St. Germain went 2-for-3 to finish the day with five hits. St. Germain also scored twice, while senior Ashley Levine homered. Junior Christina Schallig added an RBI single and freshman Bree Stephan went 1-for-2 with a run scored.
Senior Bridgette Pagano (0-1) suffered the loss in the circle, giving up 13 hits and six walks.
LBSU took an early 1-0 lead on a two-out solo homerun by Levine in the top of the second. The Fighting Illini responded in the bottom half of the inning as Ashley Conrad was able to draw a bases-loaded walk to even the score.
The Beach went back on top in the third with two runs on three hits. Stephan led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Caitrin DeBaun. After a hit by St. Germain, Stephan came around to score on a sacrifice fly from senior Ashley Weber. Schallig then singled home St. Germain to give The Beach a 3-1 advantage.
Illinois came back with six runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up 7-3. Both Meredith Hackett and Conrad connected for two-run homeruns to highlight the rally.
The Fighting Illini then broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, scoring seven runs on six hits.
The 49ers were able to push one more run across in the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough with the eight-run rule in effect. St. Germain led off with a single and eventually crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Kristen Pocock.
Long Beach State continues action at the Sportco Kick-Off Classic tomorrow when it takes on Kent State (10 a.m.) and Cal State Bakersfield (2 p.m.) at Eller Media Stadium.