Arizona Tops CS Long Beach in Pony Championship

Teresa Cherry pitched a four-hitter and Stacy Engel and Heidi Lievens singled home runs in the fourth inning to lead third-ranked Arizona (33-9) to a 3-0 victory over No. 4 Cal State Long Beach in the championship game of the eighth annual Pony tournament Sunday at Cal State Fullerton.

Annette Gonzales (15-3), who pitched in Long Beach’s (25-7) semifinal game against Fresno State earlier Sunday, was the loser.

“It’s so nice to get the kind of offensive support that I did today,” said Cherry, who went 22 innings in the tournament without allowing a run.

The Wildcats got their first run of the fourth when Julie Standering, who singled and was sacrificed to second by Kristin Gauthier, scored on Engel’s single.

Engel, who went to second on a late throw to the plate, then went home on Lievens’ single.

Arizona scored in the fifth when Vivian Holm, who doubled to start the inning and was sacrificed to third by Standering, and scored on Gauthier’s triple off the right-field fence.

“Winning this tournament was a mid-season goal for us,” said Mike Candrea, Arizona coach. “We wanted to generate some momentum to get us into our next conference game against UCLA, and winning this tournament did a lot to do that.”

Tammy McKinney, who played for Cal State Fullerton in 1984 before transferring to Central Arizona Junior College and then Arizona, had two hits for the Wildcats.

In semifinal games Sunday:

Arizona 4, Fresno State 0--The Wildcats took advantage of three Bulldog errors in the eighth to score four runs.

Arizona got two of its runs when Fresno State (26-7) catcher Laura Macedo dropped throws. A fielding error by Bulldog first baseman Gena Strang and a base hit by Arizona’s Lievens brought home the last two Wildcat runs.

Cherry gave up two hits and struck out three to earn the victory. Losing pitcher Melanie Parrent (14-5) allowed only three hits before she gave up the Arizona runs.

Cal State Long Beach 1, Texas A&M; 0-- Christine Sison was called safe at the plate when Aggie catcher Karen Robertson dropped a throw from shortstop Liz Mazera.