Instead, the ‘Niners (8-6) manufactured a run in the tenth inning to beat the Gators 2-1, giving them their first loss of the season, in an untraditional walk-off fashion.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the tenth Long Beach State senior Lacy Tyler hit a slow-rolling squibbler to second baseman Aly Paculba. The routine play should have sent the game into the eleventh but instead Paculba’s throw caused the first-baseman to pull her foot allowing ‘Niners speedster Franciska Morlet to score the game winning run. Morlet began the inning on second (thanks to the tie-breaker rule) and was sacrificed to third by a Jessica Beaver bunt.  Florida head coach Tim Walton calmly argued the call with the first base umpire to no prevail.

“I saw her pull her foot,” said an animated Lacy Tyler. “I knew it as soon as I passed and I was like ‘she pulled her foot!’ I saw it the entire time. I was not worried, I knew I was safe.”

This was the Niners’ second marathon game that went into the tenth inning. Earlier in the season Long Beach State lost 5-3 to Central Florida at the Paradise Classic in Hawaii.
 
Long Beach State showed resilience and focus but the true word of the day was “heat.” As in the shadeless 49er Softball Complex’s vulnerability to the beaming sun. And in the sense that both team’s pitchers were throwing it – for all ten innings.

Freshman Brooke Turner continued to impress for Long Beach State and Stacey Nelson was equally dominant for Florida. Both pitchers worked well at establishing a good fastball with a complimentary array of nasty off-speed pitches. Turner and Nelson dealt 16 strikeouts a piece, combining for the seventh-most strikeouts in a game, in NCAA history.

The similarity between the pitchers is eerily similar. Both set their career high for strikeouts in a game. Both came into the game as two-time “Pitcher of the Week” in their respective conferences. Both only surrendered five hits in the game. Nelson is 5’10”, Turner is 5’11.” And they both are durable pitchers, Turner threw 171 pitches, 111 for strikes. Nelson tossed 96 strikes in 150 pitches. One thing was different, Turner got the “W.”

“I was just trying to keep focus on the game itself and just take it one inning at a time,” said Turner of her performance. “And not get down when we didn’t score. I just kept going strong till we got the run.”

With her stellar performance Turner also broke the school record for strikeouts in a game she set in her very first collegiate start against the University of San Diego in early February.

But this time Turner shut down an offense that was hitting .322 as a team before the game.

“It is always a transition when you come to college and D1,” said head coach Kim Sowder. “It just hasn’t taken (Brooke) any time to transition. So we are very fortunate and I am very impressed with the way she has thrown out there.”

Coach Sowder also explained that despite knocking off a top collegiate team, the ‘Niners are yet to play their best ball. Despite timely clutch hits earlier in the season, Long Beach State left 26 runners on base during their three game homestand, in which they also split a double-header with St. John’s University. That included a 1-0 heartbreaker.

“I think it is more a mental thing,” coach Sowder said in regards to the team’s inability to score with runner on base. “They are definitely capable. I just think once it happens, it becomes more mental and we just got to work on it. There is no doubt in my mind that they will start coming through.”

Seniors played a big role in this win for Long Beach State. Morlet scored both runs. Catcher Brooke Le Sage continued to play well for the ‘Niners catching all ten innings and going 1 for 2 at the plate, with an RBI single in the sixth. And Beaver was flawless at short and finished 2 for 2, with a sacrifice and two walks.

Kim Waleszonia had three of the Gators five hits and also drew an intentional walk.

“I would compare this game a lot to Hawaii.” Turner said in regards to the ‘Niners 1-0 win at no. 15 Hawaii. “Because they were a really good hitting team and we knew we had to come out strong. I think we all stepped it up.”

Fittingly Long Beach State will face Hawaii again this weekend when they travel to Las Vegas for the UNLV Invitational. While in Vegas the ‘Niners will be playing (partying) a total of five games in three days.

“I personally am pumped to go out this weekend and see what happens,” Turner added. “I think we’re ready to go out there, we’re excited and just take it to the next team.”