After having a bumpy start to their 2015 season, the Lady Seasiders got their first wins of the season, sweeping visiting Pacific (Oregon) in a doubleheader, 4-3 and 3-1. Freshman Courtney Hiruko led the Lady Seasiders with an impressive offensive display going 4-for-5 with two runs, two walks, and a steal. Sophomore outfielder Josey Walker also came up big for the Lady Seasiders, finishing with a .333 batting average and two RBIs. “I’m really happy for the girls,” said Head Coach Alexandra Shamo. “Our team came out ready to play today and we finally put the pieces together.” Pitchers Chelsie Childs and Brittany Vasquez each recorded their first wins.The Lady Seasiders got two runs in the fifth inning off of hits from both Walker and Vasquez that put the game level at 3-3. At the top of the 6th inning, a double by Pacific put a runner in scoring position with two outs. However, Childs was clutch getting the next batter to hit a fly out to left, bringing the inning to a close.The teams would continue going back and forth until the bottom of the ninth inning when Hiruko led off with a single. After a bunt by Kalynn Latu put Hiruko into scoring position, Vasquez hit a single up the middle that the Pacific centerfielder struggled to grab, allowing Hiruko to score the game-winning run.In the second game, the Lady Seasiders grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning to take control of the game. Pacific scored a run in the fourth, to which the Lady Seasiders responded with a run of their own to keep the 2-run lead at 3-1. BYUH’s defense held Pacific from mounting any comeback as the Lady Seasiders closed out their second win and the doubleheader sweep.The two wins come as a huge boost of momentum for the Lady Seasiders who were 0-6 leading up to the game. Just a few days earlier, the Lady Seasiders suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Simon Fraser. There were, however, a few bright spots that the Lady Seasiders took away from the double header against Simon Fraser. In the second game, the Lady Seasiders almost made a comeback after finding themselves down 5-0 at the bottom of the second. The Lady Seasiders responded with a comeback to tie the game 5-5. However, Simon Fraser had a two-run sixth and three-run seventh to put the Lady Seasiders away 10-6. The six runs scored in the second game of the doubleheader were the most scored by the Lady Seasiders in a game so far this season. “This game was proof that we are capable of putting the runs on the board,” said sophomore 3rd baseman and right fielder Tiffany Smith, an exercise science major from Torrance, Calif. Uploaded Feb. 19, 2015.
Writer: Matthew Roberts
