While the rest of the student body got to celebrate the start of spring break week, the Long Beach State softball team found themselves playing the first true home games on campus, in their first Big West series of the season.

And it seemed like nothing could go wrong for the ‘Niners when they handled UC Davis 2-0 in game one of the doubleheader. Ace Brooke Turner was flawless just like the weather: cloudless, baby-blue skies and a bright sun that was seized by a cool breeze flowing in from beyond the outfield fence.

Again, it seemed like nothing could go wrong for the ‘Niners heading into the second game, especially with freshman Taylor Petty in the circle; she has been outstanding all year long.

But before you knew it, the breeze died down to almost non-existent and the sun beamed down on the 49ers softball complex. It seemed inevitable that the game would head into extra innings where the Aggies would rebound from the earlier loss to beat the ‘Niners 2-0.

“We didn’t have the energy I would have liked,” head coach Kim Sowder said about her club. “And there are days that’s going to happen, but you have to fight. But you can’t let a team gain confidence or think that they have a chance, and we gave that to them today.”

Long Beach State (20-14) got five hits in game two, with four of them coming off the bats of junior’s Brandy Reyes (2-for-3) and Ashley Weber (2-for-4). But the Beach could not put run across the board for Petty who did her best to keep the Niners in the game. Petty continued to impress during her freshman season giving up two unearned runs on nine hits, striking out three and walking none in eight innings of work. But it was Aggies’ sophomore Alex Holmes who was the star of the game, threw all eight innings and got the big hit for the Aggies (16-15), a two-run double in the top of the eight.

Holmes drove a high outside pitch deep into the left-centerfield gap to score juniors, Erin Emde and Sarah Axelson. Emde got on base via a fielder’s choice and Axelson reached on an error by fill-in shortstop Alisha Rosen. The sophomore, who filled in for Ashley Levine, was taken out of the game by a hard slide by Julie Stauder when she broke up a double play in the first inning of this game. Despite the error, Rosen did a good job filling in for Levine.

The ‘Niners loaded the bases in the bottom half of the eight but Junior Kristen Pocock grounded out to end the game.

“It’s very frustrating,” head coach Kim Sowder said about her team’s lack of a big hit. “We didn’t have that many good at-bats and didn’t put very much pressure on them with our bats—we didn’t clutch up.”

Earlier in the day, junior Bridgette Pagano got a clutch hit for the ‘Niners in their 2-0 win.

Pagano muscled an inside pitch just over the head of Aggies shortstop Kelly Harman to score Reyes in the second inning. Reyes and senior Breezy Goad drew back-to-back walk and advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Pagano, Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, has found herself in a unique position with Turner and Petty excelling on the mound. But because of her athleticism and bat, she has earned her way into the lineup starting in centerfield for the fifth game in a row.

“It’s different,” Pagano said bout patrolling the outfield. “But I like it. I’m really excited to get a chance to play. I’m glad (coaches) gave me a chance.”

Pagano also scored the second run for the Beach, reaching base on an error by Harman, she scored when senior Jonae Perez took a pitch off the helmet with the bases loaded, for a very painful RBI.

But it was Brooke Turner who controlled the game giving up five hits in seven innings, striking out three and walking none. Turner showed off all her pitches on the day and worked quickly and around the plate to improve her record to 11-7 on the season. In fact Turner did not allow a runner to reach third base the entire game. In fact, Taylor Petty (8-3) didn’t allow an Aggies’ runner to touch third either until the clutch hit from Holmes.

Pagano explained that even though they won the first game, the loss is what’s freshest in their mind heading into tomorrow rubber match at 1 pm.
“It does (overlook the win),” she said. “Because this is our latest game and it ended in a loss, a tough loss at that, so were not as focused on the first game anymore. We need to come out tomorrow and change our whole aura.”