Mountain Hawks lose two one-run games on day one of LMU Invitational I

Thursday, March 6

Los Angeles, Calif.

1:00 PM

Lehigh University

2-8

Saint Mary's

7-11

Lehigh

Saint Mary's

Mountain Hawks lose two one-run games on day one of LMU Invitational I

3/6/2014 8:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

LOS ANGELES – The Lehigh softball team opened up action at the LMU Invitational with a pair of tight, low-scoring games but the Mountain Hawks came out on the wrong end of two one-run decisions Thursday at Smith Field. The Mountain Hawks fell 2-1 to Saint Mary's in Thursday's first game, then fell 3-2 to host Loyola Marymount in eight innings.

Sophomore Morgan Decker provided two-thirds of Lehigh's offense on the day, clubbing her first home run of the season in the first inning against the Lions, But Lehigh managed just ten combined hits between the two games as the Mountain Hawks fall to 2-9 on the season.

Lehigh has benefitted from strong pitching in California, but the Mountain Hawks' offense has mustered just 11 runs in seven games. The Mountain Hawks have scored three runs or fewer in ten of their first 11 games in 2014.

Thursday's opening game against Saint Mary's (7-11) was tied at one in the bottom of the fourth when the bottom of the Gael batting order produced the go-ahead run. With two outs, junior pitcher Emily Bausher walked Katelyn Mamizuka who then stole second. No. 9 hitter Monica Reichhart then doubled to left center to put the Gaels in front.

Bausher initially gave Lehigh the lead with an RBI single in the top of the second that scored freshman Vicky Lattanzio, but Reichhart tied the game with double to left in the bottom of the frame.

Lehigh posted two hits in the final three innings, singles by Decker and senior Kristin Taft but Lujane Mussadi kept the Mountain Hawks from pushing the tying run across. Mussadi retired freshman Christine Campbell on a ground ball back to the circle to end the game with the tying run on base. She allowed just an unearned run on five hits to pick up the victory. Bausher fell to 0-5 after allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking one.

Decker provided a spark for Lehigh in the top of the first of its second game of the day following a leadoff single by sophomore MacKenzie Velasquez with a two-run home run off LMU ace Sydney Gouveia to give the Mountain Hawks an early 2-0 lead.

Loyola Marymount threatened in each of the first two innings but Lehigh turned a double play to end the first and senior Ashley Quigley struck out Nicole Kaiser to end the second.

The Lions pulled even in the bottom of the third when Alex Finie drew a leadoff walk and then came around to score on a double by Meghan Harman. An error by Lattanzio on a ball hit by Amanda Dirks allowed Harman to score the tying run.

Gouveia rebounded from the first inning home run to hold the Mountain Hawks in check as she scattered three hits over the next seven innings, while striking out 13 Lehigh batters. Campbell relieved Quigley in the fourth inning and kept the Lions off the board so the game went to extra innings, where the international tiebreaker rule was implemented.

In Lehigh's half of the eighth, senior Jess Long reached third base with one out when Velasquez reached on an error. Gouveia struck out sophomore Alexis Watanabe for the second out and after intentionally walking Decker to load the bases; she fanned Lattanzio to end the threat.

Loyola won the game in the bottom of the eighth after Breeanna Sandoval was sacrificed to third base before Stephanie Maciel ended the game with a single up the middle.

Quigley allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in three innings of work. She struck out two Lions but was hurt by five walks. Campbell took the loss allowing the one unearned run on four hits as she falls to 1-3 on the season.

In her first action since Saturday, junior Emma Capetz went 3-for-3 with a double in her return to the Lehigh lineup.

The Mountain Hawks will continue action at the LMU Invitational with two games Friday. Lehigh will face Ivy League foe Brown at 9 a.m. PT before a rematch with Saint Mary's at 11 a.m.