TURLOCK — Humboldt State opened the 2008 softball season with a split of two games in the first day of action at the Mizuno/Best of the West Classic hosted by Cal State Stanislaus on Friday.

Following a two-hour delay while the wet fields dried, the Lumberjacks opened with a 7-5 win over Cal State San Bernardino. They dropped their second game to another California Collegiate Athletic Association opponent , UC San Diego, 5-2.

After a slow start in the opener  that allowed CSUSB to pull ahead with two runs in the fist and third innings, the Lumberjacks took the lead, 5-4 in the bottom of the third.  Nikki Ketteringham and Natalie Galletly both contributed RBI doubles in the inning that pulled HSU ahead for rest of the game.
 
Lizzy Prescott  earned her first win of the season, coming in for relief after Hannah Jones  and Jenna Anderson struck out three batters and gave up five runs in their two and a third inning appearance. Cal State San Bernardino's Tawni Baker (0-1) registered the loss. 

In the second game, Prescott was tagged with the loss, giving up four earned runs and nine hits in six innings. Melissa Ward earned the win for UCSD, holding the Jacks to six hits.

UC San Diego pushed across single runs in the third and fourth innings to gain a 2-0 lead before the Jacks rallied to tie the game with two in the top of the fifth.  Following a walk and and an error that game the Jacks base runners, Nozouvsky and Klug both singled to drive in runs.

The Tritons countered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Jenny Maze opened the inning with an inside-the-park home run, and Randelle Bundy and Katrin Gabriel both contributed RBI singles to secure the win.

Humboldt State is back on the field Saturday for two more games at the Mizuno/Best of the West Classic, facing Chico State at 12:30 p.m. and San Francisco State at 2:15 p.m.


Mizuno Best of the West Classic
Saturday at Turlock
Humboldt State 7, CS San Bernardino 5 (Feb 01, 2008 at Turlock, CA)
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CS San Bernardino... 202 100 0 -  5  6  1      (0-1)
Humboldt State...... 014 002 X -  7 10  0      (1-0)
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E - COLLINWOOD. LOB - Coyotes 6; Lumberjacks 10. 2B - HOLTZCLAW; CALDERON; CURIEL;
KETTERINGHAM; GALLETLY; SLATTERY. 3B - CURIEL. HBP - JACOB; WEST; OLTJENBRUNS. SH -
SLATTERY. SB - KETTERINGHAM; McCOMBS; MOTZNY.
Pitchers: CS San Bernardino - Tawni BAKER. Humboldt State - JONES, Hannah; ANDERSON, Jenna(3);
PRESCOTT, Lizzy(4).
Win-PRESCOTT, Lizzy(1-0)  Loss-Tawni BAKER(0-1)  T-2:30  A-65
ANDERSON faced 1 batter in the 4th.

UC San Diego 5, Humboldt State 2 (Feb 01, 2008 at Turlock, Calif.)
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Humboldt State...... 000 020 0 -  2  6  2      (1-1)
UC San Diego........ 001 103 X -  5  9  1      (2-0)
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E - NOUZOUVSKY 2; ELIADES. LOB - Lumberjacks 8; Tritons 6. 2B - SAARI; MAY. 3B -
MAY. HR - MAZE. SH - OLTJENBRUNS; HABIB. SB - KLUG; LUKK; WOOFTER.
Pitchers: Humboldt State - PRESCOTT, Lizzy. UC San Diego - Melissa WARD.
Win-Melissa WARD(1-0)  Loss-PRESCOTT, Lizzy(1-1)  T-1:55  A-36
HR UCSD - Jenny MAZE.