Long Beach State closed out the National Invitational Softball Tournament with a bang on Sunday as it used an eight-run second inning to down Canisius College, 14-0, at SJSU Field.
LBSU improved to 19-10 on the season, posting its largest margin of victory since a 19-0 defeat of Utah State in 2005. Canisius dropped to 6-8.
Sophomore Brooke Turner (10-5) allowed one hit in four innings of work, while junior Bridgette Pagano came in to pitch the top of the fifth, sending the Golden Griffins down in order to end the game with the eight-run rule in effect.
The Long Beach State offense came alive as nine different 49ers combined for a season-high tying 14 hits. Senior Jonae Perez led the attack, going 3-for-4 with her first home run of the season. Perez also played a part in five of LBSU’s runs, driving in three and scoring twice. Senior Jennifer Griffin added her second long ball of the weekend, finishing the day 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI. Senior Danielle Linke and juniors Ashley Levine and Brandy Reyes added two hits apiece.
The Beach didn’t waste any time getting on the board with Linke drawing a leadoff walk and coming around to score on an infield single by Perez in the first inning.
The 49ers then broke the game open with eight runs on six hits and two errors in the bottom of the second. Reyes and senior Brianna Goad kick started the rally with back-to-back base hits. After Pagano moved both runners up on a sacrifice, Linke delivered a two-RBI single. The Beach then loaded the bases with junior Ashley Weber reaching on a hit and Griffin drawing a walk before consecutive errors by Canisius allowed three runs to score. In her second at bat of the inning, Reyes drove in another run and Pagano wrapped up the scoring-fest with a pair of RBI, giving LBSU a commanding 9-0 lead.
In the third, Griffin knocked a two-run blast out of the park, marking her team-leading sixth home run of the season. The 49ers also tacked on three more in the fourth. Pocock reached on an error allowing freshman Megan Denio to cross the plate before Perez sent a shot over the right field fence.
Long Beach State will look to carry its momentum into next weekend as it heads to Tempe, Ariz., to take on defending national champion and sixth-ranked Arizona State. The three-game series gets underway on Friday, March 20, with first pitch set for 7pm. The two teams will then square off in a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 3pm
Report By LBSU