WNC Softball: Pitching, Power Carries CSI Past Wildcats
Submitted by editor on Sat, 04/04/2015 - 4:28pm
Home runs and dominant pitching in the circle propelled fourth-ranked College of Southern Idaho to 12-1 and 12-4 softball victories over Western Nevada College on Saturday in Twin Falls, completing a four-game sweep of the Wildcats.
CSI blasted three home runs that brought home eight of its 12 runs to win the opener in five innings. Kami Merrill (15-3), a sophomore right-hander from Calgary, Alberta, limited the Wildcats to two hits.
In the second game, Kelsey Christensen (12-5) four-hit the Wildcats and the Golden Eagles blasted two more homers as CSI overcame a four-RBI performance by Melanie Mecham.
"They were just finding all of the holes on the field and taking some balls out of the yard," said WNC coach Leah Wentworth. "Plus they were holding us back. They held us to six hits all day and generally we have a pretty decent offense."
CSI hit four straight singles to score two quick runs off Wildcat starter Nicole Lesniak in the opener. Shea Ibrahim and Markii Ashton provided the RBI base hits. After Cassidy Basinger's RBI fielder's choice, Savannah Kirkpatrick slugged a three-run homer to increase CSI's lead to 6-0.
The Golden Eagles (33-10 overall and 19-4 in the SWAC) produced six hits in the first inning, one more than they did in six innings against Lesniak in Friday's second game.
CSI chased Lesniak from the circle in the second inning, scoring five runs on a pair of long balls. Ibrahim hit a three-run homer run to center off Lesniak and Kayla Carter blasted a two-run shot to right off reliever Sadee Sorensen as the Golden Eagles extended their lead to 11-0. Merrill held the Wildcats scoreless until the fourth inning when hot-hitting Lesniak singled Kacie Freudenberger to third, then Freudenberger scored on a fielder's choice by Briauna Carter.
Makaylee Jaussi delivered the only other hit off Merrill. Sorensen threw three innings of relief, giving up six hits and three earned runs.
"She did a good job of moving the ball around and mixing up some speeds; it threw them off a little bit," Wentworth said.
The performance earned Sorensen a start in game two, but she and Kristina George couldn't slow down CSI's potent offensive attack.
"Right now, they are ranked fourth in the nation, and there is a reason they are there. They do play some strong defense and they are also a really strong offense one through nine," Wentworth said. "When you play a good team at that level four games in a row, it gets pretty tough to stay within reach in all the games."
Brytni Gurney capped a five-run first inning with a two-run homer and Ibrahim launched her second homer of the day to highlight a three-run second inning. It was Ibrahim's team-leading 17th homer of the season.
In the third, Melanie Mecham's double to center field brought home Pamela Sakuma and Carter to trim CSI's lead to 8-2.
But the Golden Eagles had an answer in the bottom of the inning, scoring three times. Carley White's sacrifice fly and a run-scoring base hit by Ibrahim helped build an 11-2 lead. Mecham connected for a second two-run double off Christensen in the fifth. Her two-out hit plated Jaussi and Bailey Henderson.
"She shows up really well at the plate when we have runners on base," Wentworth said. However, Ibrahim smashed a two-out triple in the last of the fifth. She came home on an Ashton single to end the game.
The Carson City WNC softball team, which dropped to 9-14 in the SWAC and 14-19 overall, travels to Salt Lake Community College for doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.
