The Long Beach State softball team (2-2) swept its doubleheader on the final day of the Sportco Kick-Off Classic as it defeated Kent State, 6-1, and Cal State Bakersfield, 8-5.
Freshman Nalani St. Germain continued to shine for The Beach, finishing the day with two hits, four RBI and four runs scored. Her four RBI came off one swing of the bat as she connected for a grand slam against the Roadrunners.
Long Beach State 6, Kent State 1
Long Beach State picked up its first win of the 2010 season Sunday morning with a 6-1 triumph against Kent State at the Sportco Kick-Off Classic in Las Vegas.
Sophomore Taylor Petty (1-1) went the distance in the circle, allowing one unearned run on four hits and three walks. Seniors Ashley Weber and Brandy Reyes paced the 49er offense as they both went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. St. Germain also scored three runs in the win.
The Beach dented the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning as St. Germain drew a leadoff walk before coming around to score on an RBI double by Reyes.
LBSU tacked on two more runs on two hits and a pair of Kent State errors in the third. St. Germain reached base and advanced to third on a dropped fly, and scored on a Weber single. Weber then eventually crossed the plate on a two-out hit by senior Ashley Levine.
The Flashes (0-5) got on the board in the fourth, but LBSU quickly responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up, 5-1.
Long Beach State added an insurance run in the sixth when Reyes plated St. Germain with a hit to the opposite field.
Long Beach State 8, Cal State Bakersfield 5
Nalani St. Germain connected for a grand slam to lift Long Beach State to an 8-5 victory over Cal State Bakersfield in the 49ers’ final game of the Sportco Kick-Off Classic on Sunday.
Junior Brooke Turner (1-0) picked up the win, allowing one run on three hits in 4.0 innings of work. Senior Bridgette Pagano tossed three innings of relief, giving up four unearned runs on five hits.
The 49ers scored five runs in the second inning, highlighted by St. Germain’s grand slam. Junior Christina Schallig led off with a walk, before CSUB retired the next two 49ers. Liz Javier then drew a free pass before Caitrin DeBaun was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Casey Burba singled to bring home the first run and then St. Germain ripped a shot over the fence in right center to clear the bases.
LBSU tacked on one more run in the fourth and two in the sixth to take an 8-1 lead. Javier opened the top of the sixth with a solo homerun before Weber drove in Brooke Bell with an RBI double.
The Roadrunners put together a late rally, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Pagano was able to get Danielle Lyman to ground out to end the game.
Long Beach State is back in action next weekend when it returns to Las Vegas for the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, Feb. 19-21.
Reports From LBSU