CSI takes advantage of mistakes, sweeps CSN
BY DAN CABRERA
Friday, March 13, 2009
TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The 13th-ranked College of Southern Nevada softball team squandered many opportunities to score against No. 27 College of Southern Idaho on Friday. Instead, they gave out the scoring opportunities to the Golden Eagles in a Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep of the Coyotes, 2-0 and 8-0.
CSN (19-8, 16-6 SWAC) allowed CSI (22-10-2, 15-5) to enter into a tie for second place in the Scenic West behind first-place Salt Lake. SLCC swept North Idaho 6-5 and 5-1 on Friday to extend their lead to three games over both CSN and CSI.
In the first game, the Golden Eagles scored in the fourth inning thanks to a dropped fly ball by center fielder Berlynn Bagley that allowed Megan Zimmerman to reach third base. She scored on a sacrifice fly by Ashley Chappel to give CSI the 1-0 advantage.
Mandy Tapia (6-4) threw brilliantly for the Coyotes, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning. But her luck would run out with two outs when Chappel broke up the no-no with a single to right. Brittany Gonzales then hit a line drive to right that right fielder Brandy Yamika dove for and missed, allowing the ball to roll to the wall for an RBI triple.
Tapia allowed one earned run on just two hits in the defeat. She walked one and struck out three for the Coyotes. Allison Barr went 3-for-4, and Bagley was 2-for-4.
In the nightcap, things got worse for CSN as CSI took advantage of the Coyotes' three errors and many mental mistakes to get the five-inning victory due to the 8-run mercy rule.
The Golden Eagles scored four times in the second to take a 5-0 lead, then a three-run blast by Chappel in the fourth made for the final margin.
Both teams square off in another doubleheader on Saturday at noon MDT.
