March 23, 2009

Story courtesy of California Baptist Sports Information Office

TUCSON, Ariz. - What more can you ask from a pair of freshmen than back-to-back perfect games? That’s exactly what California Baptist University got from Kendall Gorham and Emma Holden, who tossed consecutive perfect games in the first two games of the Tucson Invitational.

It was the first back-to-back perfect games in school history and brings the perfect game total to three for the Lancers (30-2) in the 2009 season. It also marked the sixth time this season that the Lancers have no-hit an opponent.

Gorham tossed five innings and struck out nine in a 22-0 win over Mayville State before Holden threw five innings and struck out eight in an 8-0 win over Trinity Christian (Ill.). The Lancers then downed Missouri Valley 8-3, before ending the marathon day with an 8-4 win over No. 5 Dickinson State. Holden picked up the save in both of the final two games.

Against Mayville, the Lancers scored five runs in the first inning, eight in the second, seven in the third and two more in the fifth. Sarah Strong and Nina Cabrales each went 4-for-5 with a home run as Strong drove in four RBIs and scored three runs while Cabrales scored four runs and drove in three RBIs. Ashley Boyd and Megan Silva each went 3-for-5 with Boyd driving in four runs and scoring three while Silva drove in three and scored two. Nikki Lowe and Tina Galinato were perfect at the plate as Lowe went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI and Galinato went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Boyd, Galinato and Corral all went 2-for-2 in the win over Trinity. Boyd and Corral each tripled as Boyd drove in one run and scored two while Galinato and Corral each drove in a pair runs and scored one as well.

After playing two games in the morning, the Lancers came right back to play an evening doubleheader. The Lancers scored a run each in the first two innings to jump out to a 2-0 lead before scoring four more in the fourth to take the 6-0 lead. The Vikings answered, scoring three in the top of the fifth, but CBU responded scoring two more in the bottom half of the inning. Sarah Hurlbut led the way, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a double. Boyd also chipped in with a 2-for-4 performance and drove in three runs. Melanie Ahumada grabbed the win, throwing the first 4.2 innings before handing it over to Holden who threw the final 2.2 innings.

It was Hurlbut again, along with Corral, who came up with the big hits in the win over the Blue Hawks. Both went 2-for-4 with Hurlbut driving in two runs while Corral drove in a run. Boyd ripped a two-run homer; her 10th of the year, and Gorham came up with a pinch-hit triple that drove in a pair of runs.

Tory Ferreira threw the first five innings before Holden closed the game out.