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Date Posted: 11:48:37 03/22/02 Fri
Author: Jon Ralston
Subject: Softball and Baseball

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Originally Published Friday, March 22, 2002
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College Notebook

UOP ready for Sac. St

By Bob Highfill

Record Staff Writer

As this season has progressed, the University of the Pacific softball team has proven quite a resilient bunch.

After a brutal opening month, Pacific apparently has found its legs and will take a nine-game winning streak into Sacramento this weekend for three Big West games with Sacramento State.

The No. 19 Tigers (20-9, 3-0 Big West) play a doubleheader with the Hornets (11-17, 0-3) at noon Saturday and finish with a single game at noon Sunday.

Pacific survived what 10th-year coach Brian Kolze called the toughest month he has scheduled. The Tigers opened with four games against three teams that reached last year's College World Series, then played back-to-back tournaments in Las Vegas and Fullerton.

On March 3, his team had played 11 games in an eight-day stretch, and won only four of those games. The Tigers were exhausted and out of the top 25 after being ranked as high as 11th.

''I told the team coming back from the Fullerton Tournament (March 3) that that was the toughest first month we've put a team through since I've been here,'' Kolze said. ''But there was method to my madness. Everyone we've lost to, and most teams we've beaten, are top-30 programs. And the games we've lost, it's not like we were getting embarrassed.

''It was just frustrating but not discouraging. As coaches, (assistant) Heather (Tarr) and I just told them to keep things in perspective. There's a lot more season left to be played.''

Pacific didn't play for five days, then took three from UC Santa Barbara to open conference play. Since then, the Tigers have won six in a row against teams they expected to beat. After this weekend, the Tigers will play host to No. 11 Washington on Tuesday, then resume Big West play at home with Cal Poly (March 29-30).

Besides being rested, Pacific has rebounded because Kolze and Tarr have settled on a lineup after third baseman Kristen Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury. Tokay graduate Brandy Thurman, once the regular at first base, now is the everyday starter at third base -- her old position in high school. Right fielder Boni Kading and senior pitcher Cindy Ball rotate at first base.

''I think everyone has started to play a little better,'' Kolze said. ''There's a comfort zone. We don't have people worrying about playing different positions anymore.''

Junior left fielder Barbara Moody is having an amazing year at the plate. She set the school record for doubles last season with 19 and already has 18 this season. She's hitting a robust .385 with 26 runs scored and 17 RBI. Of her team-high 37 hits, 19 are for extra bases.

''She has been the most consistent hitter at-bat to at-bat that I've coached in my career,'' Kolze said. ''She's so focused and consistent at what she's done. It's been an extreme pleasure watching her hit.''

Ball is 12-6, despite carrying a 0.81 earned run average. The school's career leader in strikeouts (608) and shutouts (32) needs eight more victories to tie Shelly Mahoney (1982-85) for the career lead. She also is hitting .356 with five home runs and 24 RBI. She needs five more RBI to take the career lead in that category.

Said Kolze: ''We have our feet settled underneath us.''

Pacific baseball

The Tigers went 4-1-1 and finished second in the Pepsi Johnny Quik Classic on March 11-16 in Fresno. Pacific tied Liberty and beat Fordham, Oral Roberts, UC Santa Barbara and Gonzaga before losing to Fresno State in the championship. The Tigers hit .344 as a team in the tournament and scored eight or more runs in five of the six games. Cory Lake and Jason Godkin were named all-tournament, and Tim Gilhooly and James Stanford each hit three home runs.

Gilhooly had a 22-game hitting streak entering Tuesday's loss at Nevada. He leads the Tigers in runs with 25, RBI with 28, and is tied for the team lead in home runs with five.

Pacific (13-8-1) will play a doubleheader with Stony Brook at 3 p.m. Friday and a single game at 7 p.m. Saturday at Billy Hebert Field.

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