Pitching Pushes Eagles Past Penguins
Game One Game Two
(3/12/08 - Softball) IRVINE - Junior RHP Kory Briggs tossed a four-hit shutout while Laura Wiens and Rachel Reekstin combined on a three-hitter, leading #25-ranked Concordia to wins of 3-0 and 7-0 over visiting Dominican on Wednesday afternoon.
Briggs (5-2) did not walk a batter and struck out five to earn her first complete game shutout of the season. She worked out of trouble in both the 3rd and 4th innings before cruising through the final three innings thanks to a diving double play turned by 3B Alicia Leto.
The Eagles gave Briggs all the run support she would need by scoring a pair of runs in the 1st inning. Ashley Alvarez led off with a single, then took second on a throwing error. Samantha Perez walked, then Caitlyn Senkbeil beat out a bunt to load the bases.
Shannon Walton got the Eagles on the board two batters later with a fielder's choice grounder to second base that allowed Alvarez time to score. With runners on the corners, Walton took off on a stolen base attempt. Beating the throw to the bag, the toss allowed Perez time to scamper home with a second run.
The Eagles added a final run in the 5th inning, this time with Lauren Hastings providing a leadoff double. Two batters later, Perez added another single into left field, providing plenty of time for Hastings to race around and beat the throw to the plate.
Wiens (7-1) was on par with her teammate, allowing three hits and four walks over six innings while striking out three. She also benefited from a pair of early runs, this time coming in the 2nd inning as Isabel Chavez delivered a sacrifice fly, then Alvarez singled in a second run for a 2-0 lead.
Only a fielding error allowed the Penguins to have a runner reach second base off Wiens through her six innings. She did not allow more than one hit in any frame and worked around a pair of leadoff base runners.
Though she tired and gave way to Rachel Reekstin in the 7th inning, the victory was well in hand as her offense came to life with a five-run rally in the 6th inning. Carly Smith gave the Eagles a jolt of life with her team-leading 5th home run to lead off the inning. The hits kept coming as Walton singled, Michelle Carter doubled, then Hastings added an RBI-single.
The rally continued with Alvarez delivering a 2-RBI single to plate Hastings and Carter. The final run of the game came as pinch-runner Chelsea Rickling touched home after a fly ball off the bat of Tiana King to left field was dropped.
Reekstin took the ball with two runners on and took some time to find her rhythm after unleashing a wild pitch before walking Robyn Ridpath. However, she found her form just in time and struck out Sunny Castro before getting Ashley Mills and Brittany Hale to hit back to the circle.
Alvarez and Hastings each had three hits in the second game and combined to drive in four runs to highlight the 14-hit attack. Walton and Carter were each 2-for-3 in the finale and scored twice each while Perez had two of the six hits in the opener, scoring once and driving in one.
Concordia (24-7) is back home on Saturday, March 15 for a GSAC doubleheader against #19-ranked Biola starting at 12:00 p.m.