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Box Score (Game One)
Box Score (Game Two)
Azusa Pacific came to San Marcos
on Saturday looking for revenge after CSUSM swept them in Azusa
earlier this season. But the surging San Marcos squad had other
plans, shutting out Azusa in both ends of a double-header to sweep
them again. CSUSM won game one 4-0, and rode a Brenna Sandberg
2-hitter to a 2-0 victory in game two.
Game one pitted CSUSM starter Chanel Rose against Azusa’s Jeanette
Murad. Both pitchers looked good early, with each stranding a pair
of runners in the first. Rose used her change-up effectively to keep
the opposing lineup off-balance, and Azusa’s lineup couldn’t get
under many of her pitches. In fact, Rose’s first seven outs came via
the grounder.
CSUSM caught a break in the third, when after a Holly Russell
single, a double-play ball by Kami Williams was thrown away, putting
runners on the corners with no outs. Coach Kelly Warren then
manufactured the run, sending pinch runner Aly Brown to steal
second. The throw by the catcher went into center, allowing Russell
to trot home with the game’s first run.
-Azusa threatened in the third, putting two runners on with two
outs; but Rose escaped thanks to her defense. First, Russell snagged
a rocket line drive hit right at her. Then with two outs, Nicolette
Nassiff saved a pair of runs with a lunging catch on a sure-double
down the right field line.
Rose’s day over after three scoreless innings, and she gave way to
ace Melissa Lerno. Lerno worked around a leadoff single to preserve
the 1-0 lead in the fourth, striking out the inning’s final two
hitters. Her overpowering fastball proved a perfect complement to
Rose’s repertoire of finesse pitches, and Azusa’s lineup had trouble
catching up.
Lerno tossed a perfect fifth, then stranded a couple runners in the
sixth. She also knocked Murad out of the game with a leadoff single
in the sixth. Elizabeth Bush followed that up with a single, and
Russell laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt. A walk to Kami Williams
loaded the bases, and after a strikeout, Nicolette Nassif slapped a
grounder to third. It looked like Nassif would have beaten the throw
to first, but it went awry anyway, allowing a second run to score.
Nassif would then steal second, and the throw sailed over the second
baseman’s head, plating Williams.
Now with a much more comfortable 4-0 lead, Lerno breezed through the
seventh to secure the victory. Defense was the deciding factor, with
CSUSM playing flawlessly in the field while Azusa struggled to six
errors. The win improves Rose to 2-1 on the season, and the save is
Lerno’s first.
Game two matched CSUSM’s Brenna Sandberg against Azusa’s Camille
Hundley. After both pitchers threw perfect first innings, Azusa
threatened in the second with a leadoff triple by Natali Mickelson.
But Sandberg didn’t panic, and retired the next three hitters
without letting the run score.
CSUSM would not miss its chance in the bottom of the inning. A
leadoff want put one on for Holly Russell, who “dropped bombs” (as
teammates Mimi Krutein and Kelsey Lewis would say) by crushing an
RBI triple over the rightfielder’s head. Krutein herself then came
up and, after painfully fouling a ball off her leg, drove an RBI
single to left. Krutein also saw her first action of the season at
catcher.
The 2-0 lead would persist, thanks to great work by Sandberg on the
mound. As she has all year, the freshman mixed up her pitches nicely
and allowed very few hard-hit balls. She got in a little trouble in
the fourth, as Azusa loaded the bases with two outs; but Sandberg
induced a groundout to escape.
In the sixth, leftfielder Lise Leibl ran down a ball to the gap to
preserve the 2-0 lead. CSUSM couldn’t add any late runs – but it
didn’t matter, with Sandberg getting stronger as the game wore on,
striking out the final two hitters to finish off the two-hit
shutout. Her final line: 7 innings pitched, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks,
6 K’s.
Pitching and defense carried the day for CSUSM, who are now a very
impressive 12-6 on the year. Last season’s 10-31 record appears to
be long in the past, and this team could be destined for great
things, particularly if Coach Warren keeps getting pitching
performances like she did on Saturday.
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