Tigers beat Northridge, finish second -- The Tiger's Den

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Date Posted: 09:39:16 05/12/02 Sun
Author: Jon Ralston
Subject: Tigers beat Northridge, finish second
In reply to: Jon Ralston 's message, "Softball Splits with Northridge" on 08:45:33 05/11/02 Sat

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Originally Published Sunday, May 12, 2002
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Ball victorious in finale

By Bob Highfill

Record Staff Writer

It ended the only way it could, with Cindy Ball striding off the field and another strikeout victim heading to the bench.

Ball capped her regular-season career at University of the Pacific with her 10th strikeout and extended her school record in wins to 90 after the Tigers beat Cal State Northridge 9-3 Saturday at Bill Simoni Field.

The 17th-ranked Tigers (42-15, 21-3 Big West) finished second in the Big West for the second consecutive season. This time they were a game behind Cal State Fullerton after the Titans beat Cal Poly 4-3 on Saturday. Pacific will earn its fourth at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in five years when ESPNEWS announces the 48-team field at 6 p.m. today.

The Tigers rebounded from their disappointing loss to the Matadors in the second game of Friday's doubleheader with an offensive outpouring, solid defense, and effective pitching by Ball, who said so-long to many adoring fans in a moving pre-game ceremony.

''I was really pumped up with what my teammates were doing,'' said Ball, who extended her Big West career strikeout record to 743. ''It's easy to play here with all these people behind you.''

With her family by her side, Ball accepted flowers, hugs and a standing ovation from more than 350 in attendance. Estee Okumura, Aloha Yamaguchi and Nicole Inouye, the Tigers Hawaiian trio, draped leis around her neck and placed a floral wreath on her head. Behind the backstop, her family placed a collage of photographs showing a smiling Ball as a schoolgirl, club, high school and collegiate competitor.

After her mom and best friend, Debbie Hawes, wiped away her tears, Ball went to work. She recorded five Ks through three innings and had a six-run lead with which to work.

The Tigers sent 10 to the plate and scored six runs in the second inning off freshman Jenny Wheeler, who threw well Friday. The highlight was a two-run home run by freshman catcher Ashlie D'Errico -- her first -- on an 0-2 pitch to put Pacific on the scoreboard.

''I felt like I hit the ball well, but I had an idea the ball was going to go over the fence,'' D'Errico said. ''I didn't know what to do after that. It was a good feeling.''

Michelle Anunciation had an RBI single in the second, one of three hits for her on the day, and later scored with Brandy Thurman when Estee Okumura doubled off the top of the left-field fence. Pacific had 12 hits in the game, including seven off Summer Richardson, who relieved Wheeler with one out in the second.

Just about everyone contributed.

Anunciation scored two runs and stole two bases, Thurman laid down a sacrifice bunt that led to a run in the sixth, Ball singled in her final at-bat and scored, Boni Kading had two hits and scored two runs, Yamaguchi had two hits and scored, and Inouye doubled and scored. Freshman Krystle Peterson pinch-ran for Ball and scored on a single by Kading in the sixth.

It was the type of team effort the Tigers have relied upon all season. The win also helped take some of the sting out of Friday's loss, which proved to cost them the Big West title.

''It was a huge bounceback,'' Tigers coach Brian Kolze said. ''The most important thing for the team was we wanted to be better (Saturday) when we left than we were (Friday). Our hitters made a ton of great adjustments at the plate and took control of the game.''

* To reach reporter Bob Highfill, phone 546-8299 or e-mail bhighfil@recordnet.com

* Final record: 42-15, 21-3 in Big West

* Conference finish: Second

* NCAA Bid: Bids will be announced on ESPNEWS at 6 p.m. today

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Replies:

You forgot to -- TitanCzar, 14:52:38 05/12/02 Sun
- Enjoy it . . . -- Jon Ralston, 22:30:53 05/12/02 Sun