Senior right-fielder Danielle Linke was the last batter of both ‘Niners ball games Saturday evening and they were on opposite ends of an emotional spectrum.

Linke blasted a home run deep into the Westwood night to end a 13-inning, three hour and 57 minute marathon against UNLV in the Niners’ first elimination game of the night and she then lined out in her final at-bat in a “Beach” jersey to end a quick-paced 12-2 loss to no.25 Fresno State.

The 99 minute game couldn’t have gone fast enough for Long Beach State’s five seniors on the team. Kelly Cross, Brianna “Breezy” Goad, Jennifer Griffin, Linke and Jonae Perez all finished their careers at the Beach. The team finished the season with a 36-21 record and a 1-2 record, with loses to UCLA (43-9) and Fresno State, in NCAA Regional play.

But today’s two games couldn’t have been more day and night, and Long Beach State played deep into the night for that matter. Unfortunately and inevitably the ‘Niners didn’t have much left in the tank after game one. Sophomore stud Brooke Turner started and got the loss against Fresno State (38-19) despite having earned the win with six and two/thirds inning of scoreless relief against UNLV (31-21) earlier in the evening.

Turner (18-13) definitely stepped up to the challenge and left her mark in the UNLV win. The game was an instant classic that had more drama and twists than your favorite episode of CSI.

Junior Ashley Levine got Long Beach State on the board in the second, when she turned on an inside pitch and drove a ball high-and-out of the stadium down the right field line. This was Levine’s second home run this season, both hit against UNLV junior right-hander, Stephanie Bregante.

Bregante gave up one more hit before being pulled for lefty sophomore Traci Odegard.

Odegard kept Long Beach State hitters off balance and escaped from three ‘Niners rallies in-a-row where they stranded a runner on third. In total, Long Beach State left 14 runners on base in the game, and struggled to get the big hit all night. This kept UNLV in the game.

Freshman Taylor Petty was cruising in the circle for the Beach, against a line-up that had seven batters hitting .300 or better. But as the Beach continued to leave runners stranded, the momentum was back in UNLV’s dugout and they tied the game on a deep home run off the bat of shortstop Jaci Hull in the sixth. Later in the inning Turner came in for Petty, who only gave up four hits. Turner was lights out the rest of the way but the Rebels did give the ‘Niners a brief scare in the eight.

In that inning Rebel junior slugger Kendall Fearn appeared to have launched a two-run bomb deep over the left field scoreboard to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead. But quickly after Fearn touched the plate, momentum shifted right back the ‘Niners’ way when the home run was called back.

The umpires grouped in discussion and ruled that Hull, who was on first after getting hit by a Turner pitch, was determined out for getting off the bag too early. The runs were taken off the board and Fearn had to come back to the plate and finish the at-bat. Though she ended up singling up the middle, the prior call had drained the UNLV rally and Turner was able to get the big out she needed.

This was a HUGE break for the Beach, who you figured would rally around the debatable-and-rare call. This swung momentum back their way after they had lost it in the innings prior by leaving so many runners on-base themselves.

Long Beach State would put together a rally on zero hits in the tenth. They loaded the bases on a walk, hit-by-pitch and another walk. UNLV head coach and former long-time ‘Niners head coach, Pete Manarino was still fuming from the home run call, and made the pitching change, bringing Bregante back into the game. Bregante came in and looked better than before getting her team in the game by pitching her way out of a one-out jam.

The crowd was hanging on every pitch as both teams had proven they could end the game with one swing. In extras both head coaches had their arguments with umpires, who after the home run call, were scrutinized on every close call.

Both teams put runners on base, but UNLV had their best scoring opportunity stalled in the 13^th when they left the bases loaded. The Rebels stranded 13 runners on base themselves.

A couple minutes later the ‘Niners ended it.

Junior transfer Jodie Nakawatase singled to get on for Linke. Linke, stepped up to the plate and in what could have been her final at-bat for Long Beach State—drilled a pitch deep over both fences in Right Field for the win. Nakawatase did not leave the base early.

 After the game, Linke said she knew it was gone as soon as it hit the bat, and then flashed her patented game-winning grin.

As a reward for winning this classic clash, the ‘Niners had 30 minutes to enjoy before returning to the field to play a Fresno State team that stood and watch the game from the sixth inning and on beyond the center field wall. The Bulldogs lost to UCLA 4-2 in a hard fought battle earlier in the day, so you know the Bulldogs came in with that motivation. Add the fact they had a tired opponent in Long Beach State, whom beat them to Mercy 8-0 in March at Mayfair Park.

So after combining with Petty to shutdown a powerful UNLV Turner stepped back in the circle against a Fresno State lineup that only had one hitter over the .300 mark. Despite her velocity being strong, Turner was rattled for two runs on two infield singles and blooper in the first before striking her way out of a jam. By then it was obvious the beach were running on fumes. Long Beach State went down in order in the bottom of the first, paving the way for another big Bulldog inning.

With two outs in the second, Fresno State loaded the bases on two singles and a Levine error. Bulldog slugger, Michelle Moses then drove a 0-2 Turner mistake into the Trees in deep left for the grand slam to increase the lead to 6-0.

Senior Kelly Cross and junior Bridgette Pagano relieve Turner the rest of the way giving up runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh inning.

Fresno State increased their lead to seven when Haley Gilleland tripled and executed a delayed-steal of home in the fourth. An inning later they would tack on two more for the possible Mercy rule win. But the ‘Niners rallied for two runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Back to back hits by Nakawatase (who went 3-for-6 in the first game) and Pagano put runners in scoring position for junior transfer Brandy Reyes. Reyes slapped a hit into Center to score both runners. But that was all the ‘Niners offense accomplished.

 Fresno State built their lead to 12-2 on a couple of ethically questionable plays like a sac bunt to move runners into scoring position. Linke was the last hope for her team, and hit the ball hard,  but right at a Bulldog for the final out in her final at-bat.

Linke and the four other seniors were essential to this team’s success and will be missed presence in the ‘Niners line-up. Griffin was named co-Big West Player of the Year and first team all-conference, as was Linke. While Perez was honored to second team all-conference and Goad was an honorable mention.

The beach will lose three of its top four hitters in this class but with the recent, reloading-not-relapsing, trend head coach Kim Sowder has shown, the ‘Niners still have a lot to be excited about. Keep an eye out for a softball season wrap-up later this week.