Women's Softball
4/19/2008 - Olvera Dominates Royals, Mauerhan Just Enough
Buena Park, CA- Sophomore Kelsesa Mauerhan made just enough of the proper pitches to get out of jams against #13 Vanguard and lead the Royals to a 2-1 Game 2 win. Unfortunately, the Lions’ Jennifer Olvera dominated the Royals in Game 1 with a one hit complete game gem.
Olvera set the tone for Game 1 by striking the side in the first, with the only hit of the game she allowed sandwiched in between. Freshman Cassandra Lewein tripled to right field.
The Royals would only manage one base runner the rest of the game- a walk in the third. Olvera would go on to strikeout eight Royals to run her GSAC high season total to an even 200.
With Olvera in complete control, the Lions would have only needed one run for the win. However, in the first inning of Game 1, they batted around, pushed across 3 runs, and left the bases loaded. That would jump start Vanguard’s offense as they would proceed score at least one run in all five innings that were played in the game.
Vanguard, the team with the GSAC’s lowest batting average (.261 when play began), pounded out 11 runs on 11 hits with the help of three Royals’ errors. Out of the 11 hits, they only had one extra base hit- a double by Olvera in the fifth. Olvera, Stephanie Leisenring, and Kaysie Flasck were a combined 7-9 though they all reached base safely all four of their times at the plate with the help of two Royals’ errors and two walks.
Game 2 could not come fast enough for the Royals.
Mauerhan opened the game with 4 straight illegal pitches that produced a walk for the Lions’ Sarah Howe. A stolen base, groundout, and wild pitch later Howe made the score 1-0.
Illegal pitches would be the thorn in Mauerhan’s side the remainder of the game as they accounted for the majority of the seven walks she issued. However, aside from the first inning, she managed to wiggle out of trouble the rest of the game- particularly with two double plays turned behind her (one of which she started). She allowed just two hits throughout the game on the way to her 11th win of the season.
Offensively, the Royals did just enough to pull out the win as they scored two runs on five hits.
Senior Lisa Teberg drilled her sixth home run of the season to dead center in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1. That snapped a 1-17 slump over the last 5 and ½ games for Teberg.
In the third, the Royals tacked on what to proved to be the game-winning run. Lewein reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and came home on an RBI single from Freshman Alexis Hurley.
Junior Ashlee Lopez was 2-2 in Game 2 with a pair of singles.
With the split, the Royals improved to 19-25 (5-17 GSAC) while the #13 Lions improved to 33-19 and 8-12 in the GSAC.
On Tuesday, the Royals will be home for the final time of the 2008 season as they play two against CSU San Marcos. The non-GSAC double header is scheduled for a 2:00 pm start at George Bellis Park.