Softball Drops Two Games to Loyola Marymount
Feb. 12, 2007
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The University of Northern Colorado softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader Monday against Loyola Marymount, 4-0 and 5-4.
The Bears (1-4) fell victim to a stellar pitching performance in the opener, when the Lions' (5-2) Tiffany Pagano tossed a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts.
Only three runners reached base for the Bears, with Hillarie Van Otterloo drawing a pair of walks and Laura Christianson also getting a free pass, though neither was able to get past second base.
Van Otterloo picked up her third loss of the season in the tough-luck situation. She allowed four runs (three earned) and struck out three.
The Bears found their offense in the second game, but still fell to Lions in a 5-4 decision.
LMU opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the third, but Northern Colorado tied the game in its next at-bat when Casey Hogue tripled home Alyse Kochenberger, who had reached on a single.
The following inning would see the Bears score three runs to jump out to a 5-2 lead. In that frame, Twylla Vennum reached on a fielding error by the Lions' first-baseman, and advanced to second on a Christianson bunt single. A Kelsey Dumler single loaded the bases for Kochenberger, who drove in Christianson on a fielder's choice, after Vennum was forced out at home. Van Otterloo then opened the game up with a two-out double to score Kochenberger and Dumler.
The Lions would get two runs back in the bottom of the sixth, and take the game in the seventh when a one-out hit scored Kirsten Slouber for the winning run.
Shea Carpenter took the loss for Northern Colorado, despite a solid performance where she allowed three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work.
The Bears will stay in California for the UC-Santa Barbara Invitational, starting Friday with a noon game against Nevada.
