With Reports By Long Beach State Sports Information Department

If you read that the Long Beach State softball team split two games in the Long Beach State Invitational on Friday, you might assume that the sophomore sensation Brooke Turner continued her dominance in the circle while another pitcher was knocked around for some runs.

You’d be wrong, and you should’ve listened to your mother when she told you about assuming.

On Friday morning, it was freshman phenom Taylor Petty who picked up her third complete game shutout in her fourth start of the year as Long Beach blanked Longwood, 4-0 for the 49ers ninth-straight win.

In the nightcap, the Beach stranded 11 base runners, bumbled a few errors, Turner hung a few pitches, and the Golden Panthers of Florida International University jumped on them for six runs in the third inning on the way to a 9-3 win.

“Even in the morning, we really came out flat,” said coach Kim Sowder.  “We didn’t play good softball today.”

San Pedro native Petty (6-0) has not allowed an earned run in 35.0 consecutive innings, and allowed only six hits in seven innings while racking up six strikeouts.

In the morning game, juniors Ashley Weber and Kristen Pocock both went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while senior Brianna Goad drove in a pair of runs with a triple.

Long Beach State got on the board early with a two-out rally in the top of the first inning. After retiring the first two batters, Longwood pitcher Briana Wells walked senior Jennifer Griffin, who eventually stole second and advanced to third on a Lancer throwing error. Pocock then delivered with an RBI single through the left side.

The 49ers added two more in the fourth as junior Ashley Levine started another two-out rally with a single up the middle. Junior Jodi Nakawatase then drew a free pass before Goad drove a shot over the head of Longwood centerfielder Kami Nuckols for a two-run triple.

In the FIU game, Turner looked on in the early going, striking out the side in the second.  In the top of the third, first baseman Brandy Reyes hit her first home run of the season to put the Beach up, 2-1.  But in the bottom of the frame, a questionable call at first said Reyes was off the bag, putting runners on with two outs.  FIU took advantage and knocked six hits in the inning for six runs.

Long Beach had plenty of time and opportunities to get back in it—loading the bases three times—but was unable to get on the board when FIU relief pitcher Kasey Barrett, who didn’t allow a hit in the final three innings.

So, are teams catching up to Turner, who rewrote the LBSU softball record books last season?  “No,” says Sowder.  “Scouting reports don’t have anything to do with it.  Brook has a few things to work out… she as a few pitches that need work… and I have all the confidence in the world that she’ll fix those things.  We have to play defense behind her first, though.  I don’t know of a pitcher in the country that doesn’t give up (contact).”

Long Beach will try to get back to the winning ways today when they face Iowa at 9am.  It was the Hawkeyes who knocked out LBSU last year in the NCAA tournament.

“We never talked about any streak.  Playing every game is our focus.  Right now we’re just looking forward to playing Iowa.”