Lost Leads Result in Another Pair of Close Losses for Softball
April 3, 2007

Complete Box Scores »» Game 1   Game 2

It's a trademark of young teams in all sports, and unfortunately, the inability to hold leads has become a theme of CSUSM softball's first season. On Tuesday the squad was swept by Vanguard by the slimmest of margins, losing 3-2 in 9 innings in game one and 4-2 in game two.

The good news is, of course, that the Cougars are gaining leads at all against such strong competition. With the majority of the team's games coming against competition from the powerful GSAC conference - which currently has five teams ranked in the top 25 - CSUSM appears to be on the same level of most of the squads they've played, and their record of 6-24 is quite deceiving. Given the Cougars' great team chemistry and the fact that they only have one upper classman on the roster, it's only a matter of time before they start winning these close games.

On Wednesday, game one saw Cougar ace Melissa Lerno and Vangaurd's Jennifer Olvera engage in one of the best pitching duels of the season. Both were overpowering, and both held the opposing lineup scoreless for all 7 regulation innings. Vanguard got runners on base in nearly every inning, but Lerno scattered the 7 hits and 5 walks she allowed, and pitched out of every jam right up until the end. She struck out 8 on the day, while Olvera struck out 12 in essentially shutting down the Cougars' lineup.

With the game scoreless after 7, the international tiebreak rule was enacted and a runner was placed at second for both teams at the beginning of each inning. CSUSM successfully scored their runner in the 8th, as Lerno bunted Joy Leon to third, and with two outs, Erica Coelho delivered a big single to left to plate Leon. But that lead wouldn't hold up, as Vanguard was able to get its runner home as well.

In the 9th, CSUSM once again scored a run, with Holly Russell and Tasha Stokes advancing Danielle Tucker home with sac flies. The lead wouldn't hold, however, as a leadoff walk put two runners on for Vanguard, and a Rachel Bomgren single tied the game. That was followed up by April Glenn hitting a fly ball to left, and runner Noelle Navarette was able to beat the throw home to score the game winning run.

In game two, the Cougar offense was once again stifled by a Vanguard pitcher. This time, it was Kelsey Boyer who held CSUSM to just four hits in going the distance. She gave up just two unearned runs. Boyer's performance overshadowed Cougar starter Erica Coelho, who gave one of her better efforts of the season in limiting the dangerous Vanguard offense to just four runs over six innings of work. She walked just two hitters en route to pitching her third complete game of the season.

The Cougars got on the board first, scoring twice in the fourth to jump out to a 2-0 lead. A two-out error allowed Amanda Sanchez to reach base, and after a Lerno single, Lindsey Preovolos came through with a big double to left, scoring both runs. Preovolos has been swinging the bat very well lately, and since March 18th has improved her batting average over 70 points.

But that would be all the offense CSUSM could generate, and the lead would be short-lived. In the bottom of the fourth, three consecutive one-out singles and a wild pitch would bring the game to a 2-2 tie. In the following inning, Vanguard would take the lead on an Olvera single, and add an insurance run on a Jennifer Rynda sac fly.

Boyer would not allow a Cougar to reach base in the 6th or 7th, as the squad once again took a tough loss. CSUSM will look to rebound at La Sierra on Friday.