The Collegian

Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Karyn Gilbert Dani Caldwell, right, consults a shaken Meghan Dyer after giving up hits.

Media Credit: Karyn Gilbert Dani Caldwell belts a single in Delta´s 3-0 victory.

The Lady Mustangs softball team scored easily in the second inning of game one, but fell to the Sacramento City Panthers 5-4 in the nightcap, Tuesday, April 12.

"Our defense fell and Dyer couldn't find the strike zone," said head coach Peter Turner. "Walks got us into trouble."

Dani Caldwell was walked, Veronica Castro hit a single to left, and then Bonnie Farris advanced the runners, where Meghan Dyer smashed the ball to right, snagging two RBI.

Dyer got into trouble on the mound as she was little off, allowing the Panthers to load the bases, but struck out the next batter to save the 3-0 shutout.

"Meghan shut them down and didn't do her best," said Turner. "We did things to win that game."

Jessica Gonzalez lead off with a smashing hit in the sixth, then a sacrifice bunt got her to second. Caldwell strutted up to the plate, but was intentional walked and Delta scored another on a steal to home.

"I hate getting intentionally walked," said Caldwell. "I know it's a respect, but they are being pansies."

Sacramento City showed some offence in the seventh. Nikki Bahko belted out a line hit, but was tagged out by Caldwell for the final out as she stole the base after Dyer stuck out the second out.

The later game came as a shock. Dyer went to the mound, off her game, as the Panthers got into a rhythm and had some luck as the Lady Mustangs made crucial errors in the third.

The Panthers first runner advanced on a dropped ball, then Dyer walked the next batter and Jordan Dahl loaded the bases on another Delta error.

The "trick play" came nex. Elisha Reed thought she had a walk, as the third ball drifted over the plate, and Danielle Harvey walked into scored, only it wasn't a walked in run, but a stolen base recorded by Harvey to give Sacramento City the tie.

"We all thought it was walk," said Caldwell.

Reed got the walk one pitch later, and the Panthers took the lead after the runner tagged up on third. Dyer stuck out the next batter to get Delta out of the innings.

Reaching for extra bases in hopes to regain the lead got the Lady Mustangs into the trouble.

Amada Vickers lead off with a single, but was called out stealing second. Gonzalez belted the ball to left-center, but was called out at second.

Caldwell smashed a fly ball to get one, Castro advanced Caldwell, and Dyer picked up an RBI-single to tie the game.

Bahko came off the plate with a solo-homer in the fifth to give Sacramento City the lead again, but one wasn't enough for the Lady Panthers. Iris Mendez stole home, and another squeeze bunt gave them a 5-2 advantage.

"That ball was hit well," said Turner of Bahko homer. "We were down 3-2, then dropped ball, walk, fielder choice. We should have had two outs."

Delta gave it their all as Tarra Fraser and Dyer hit singles. Fraser came into score, and Vickers blasted an sacrifice hit that brought a runner home, but a Mustang was caught at third to end the game 5-4.

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