The Long Beach State softball team nearly swept this weekend’s Louisville Slugger Invitational at Mayfair Park, dropping its matchup with No. 14 UCLA 3-2 on Sunday.
The 49ers (15-9) recorded just two hits against Bruins starting pitcher Johanna Grauer, and yet they were one good swing away from winning the game.
Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, with one out and runners on second and third, sophomore pinch hitters Hannah Cookson and Irma Sanchez left their teammates stranded, handing UCLA the win.
“We were a couple good at bats away from winning the game,” LBSU head coach Kim Sowder said. “We had some great opportunities throughout and we’ve had a lot of success this year of coming through in those situations. We just fell a little short in this one.”
Freshman infielder Tierra Falo notched both of LBSU’s hits on the day. The first came in the form of a solo home run in the top of the third inning to cut UCLA’s lead to 2-1. The second scored sophomore infielder Julia Lombardi from second in the bottom of the seventh to cut UCLA’s lead to one.
“[Falo] was turning on the inside pitch really well,” Grauer said. “They weren’t bad pitches, she was just doing a great job, when I was trying to jam her up, of extending and making it a hit.”
The 49ers bounced back with a 5-4 win over Princeton later in the day. LBSU held off a comeback attempt by the Tigers in the seventh.
On Saturday, the 49ers swept the doubleheader against Mississippi State and Iowa State.
LBSU picked up a 5-1 win over the Bulldogs after erupting with a four-run fourth inning. Against the Cyclones, the 49ers trailed 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning before they rallied for the 5-4 win.
The 49ers opened the tournament with a 9-0 twin over Utah Valley. Senior Infielder Darian Tautalafua and Lombardi both went 3-3, totaling six singles and three RBIs between them.
LBSU goes on the road again as part of the San Diego Classic. The 49ers open the tournament against BYU on Thursday at 1 p.m.