Softball Loses to #4/4 UCLA and Long Beach State

Saturday, March 11

Long Beach, Calif.

6:45 p.m. EST

Syracuse University

vs. #4/4 UCLA (Long Beach State Invitational)

Dani Stuart had two hits versus Long Beach State.

Softball Loses to #4/4 UCLA and Long Beach State

3/12/2006 1:40:44 AM | Softball

UCLA 3, SU 0
LBSU 15, SU 2

LAKEWOOD, Calif. – The SU softball team (8-11) dropped to 0-4 at the Long Beach State Invitational, losing twice on Saturday, March 11. The Orange lost its opening game at Mayfair Park, 3-0, to #4/4 UCLA and lost 15-2 in five innings against tournament host Long Beach State (12-11) in the nightcap.

In the first game, Bruins’ starter Lisa Dodd faced just three batters over the minimum, allowing singles to seniors Alexis Switenko (Blue Anchor, N.J.), Cassie Morales (Whittier, Calif.) and rookie Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) in the contest. Switenko’s infield single to lead off the fifth inning ended Dodd’s bid for a perfect game. She struck out four and did not walk a batter to improve to 10-0 on the year.

The Bruins (23-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third when Caitlin Benyi laced a double into right center to drive in Krista Colburn. Colburn reached on a two-out triple into the right field corner.

UCLA added to its margin in the fifth. Benyi and Emily Zaplatosch each worked two-out walks and Jodie Legaspi followed with an RBI single to center. Syracuse starter Erin Downey (San Rafael, Calif.) whiffed Dodd to end the threat.

The Bruins tacked on another run in the top of the seventh to extend its lead to 3-0. After Colburn’s second triple of the game, Benyi again knocked her in, this time with a single up the middle.

Benyi was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and Colburn finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Downey (4-8) went the distance for the Orange. She allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out five.

In the second game, Long Beach State pounded out 19 hits to SU’s five, and scored at least one run in each inning to hand the Orange its worst defeat in team history. Everyone in the 49ers’ lineup had at least one hit and Brianna Goad led the charge, going 4-for-5 with four runs batted in. Michelle Turner and Lacy Tyler each had three hits Long Beach State. Tyler, Ashley Weber and Melanie McCauley each knocked in two runs.

Long Beach State jumped on SU early scoring twice in the top of the first. The 49ers got three hits in the inning, including back-to-back RBI singles by Turner and Tyler.

The 49ers chased Downey (4-9), who started her second game of the day, in the second inning, scoring four runs on five hits. All five of the 49ers’ hits in the frame went for extra-bases (four doubles, one triple) and their lead swelled to 6-0. Long Beach State pushed another run across in the third, on an RBI single by Goad, to go ahead, 7-0.

The 49ers continued their hot hitting in the fourth, pounding out four singles and a double, which led to three runs and a 10-0 advantage.

SU got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when freshmen Kim Weinstein (Tarzana, Calif.) and Jorden Rosen (Sugar Land, Texas) came around to score on a throwing error by Turner, but the 49ers tacked on five more runs in their half of the fifth to produce the final margin.

Orange freshman Dani Stuart (Centralia, Wash.) registered a personal-best two hits in the contest, both singles. She finished the game 2-for-3.

Downey’s school-record streak of 41 consecutive appearances with a strikeout came to an end against the 49ers. She tossed 1.2 innings and surrendered six runs on eight hits. Switenko replaced Downey and allowed nine runs on 11 hits and struck out one.

Syracuse will wrap up competition at the Long Beach State Invitational on Sunday, March 12 with a game versus Mercer. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EST.