While her collegiate softball career is officially over, former Bulldog shortstop Christina Clark continued to have postseason awards roll in while rookie hurler Robin Mackin is just beginning to reap the benefits of her hard work as both were honored as Easton All-Americans. Hawai?i’s Tyleen Tausaga was also selected to the third team.
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A first team selection, Clark garnered her fourth consecutive Easton-Bell Sports All-America honor and is the second Bulldog to accomplish that feat, joining Jamie Southern. Also a first team honoree in 2004, Clark picked up second team accolades as a freshman and in 2005.
Clark also became the ninth Bulldog to be a three-time NFCA All-American. As the first player in WAC history to be a three-time WAC Player of the Year selection, she concluded her stellar career by ranking in five NCAA Division I all-time career marks, 12 Fresno State all-time records and 11 WAC career marks.
Mackin was named to the Easton-Bell Sports Third Team. In her collegiate debut, Mackin notched 19 10-strikeout games while breaking into seven Top 10 Fresno State single-season records: No. 1 in strikeouts (402) and strikeouts per seven innings (10.3). She was tied for third in starts (41), No. 5 appearances (47), No. 7 complete games (36), No. 8 innings pitched (273.1) and tied for 10th wins (28). Having established a new school single-game record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game (17 against. Kansas), she posted two no-hitters to go along with five one-hitters this past spring.
Tausaga was only the ninth player in Hawai?i softball history to garner Easton-Bell All-America honors, and the first since Stacey Porter made the first team in 2003. For the second straight year, the junior from Honolulu led the Rainbow Wahine in several offensive categories throughout the season. Although her prowess at the plate is not a secret anymore, she continued to hit consistently throughout the season and during conference play. She finished with team-highs in average (.373), hits (tied at 59), doubles (tied with 12), home runs (10), and RBI (34). Tausaga matched her career-high hitting streak with nine (March 6-April 7) and she had a career high 19 multiple-hit games this season.
MACKIN SETS WAC RECORD ? WAC Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, Robin Mackin set two WAC records in 2006. Mackin set two new school and WAC single-season marks for strikeouts (402) and strikeouts per seven innings pitched (10.3). The former WAC strikeout leaders was former Fresno State All-American Jamie Southern who struck out 400 in 2002. Southern was also the leader in strikeouts per seven innings (9.27).
FRESNO STATE AND NEVADA FALL IN NCAA REGIONALS ? Laura Severson hurled a three-hit, complete game shutout to lead No. 12 Stanford past host Fresno State 3-0 in the NCAA Region VI title game.
The Bulldogs wrap up their season with a 37-19 overall mark. An impressive pitcher’s duel for five innings, Stanford finally broke through with a three-run sixth inning that ultimately decided the contest. The game featured just eight hits, five by the Cardinal.
Fresno State freshman standout Robin Mackin bounced back from a loss earlier in the afternoon and turned in a solid outing. Mackin, whose 3-0 shutout of the Cardinal on Saturday propelled the Bulldogs into the regional final, went the distance with five strikeouts and did not walk a batter. She completes a stellar freshman season that included jaw-dropping totals in wins (28), ERA (1.54), shutouts (14), innings pitched (273.1) and strikeouts (402).
The 2006 Nevada softball season ended after a 2-1 loss to Portland State. The loss ended an incredible Pack run that included a WAC title and a post-season appearance. The Wolf Pack jumped out to an early lead when Cindy Elkins hit her seventh home run of the season and second in as many days in the third inning. Jordan McPherson took the mound for the Pack. She pitched six innings, gave up four hits, two earned runs and struck out eight.
MIGHTY MCPHERSON ? Nevada sophomore pitcher Jordan McPherson earned MVP honors at the WAC Tournament by pitching every inning of the tournament for the Wolf Pack and not allowing an earned run. McPherson pitched her sixth-straight complete game of the WAC Tournament, throwing 523 pitches in 41 innings since the start of the tournament on May 11. McPherson struck out 17 over the three-game Championship series, bringing her WAC Tournament total to 34. The second-team all-WAC honoree was 22-202 this season with a 2.00 ERA. She had 246 strikeouts in 283.1 innings.
THREE EARN ALL-WEST REGION HONORS ? Senior All-America shortstop Christina Clark and freshman pitcher Robin Mackin were selected first team all-West Region. Hawai?i sophomore outfielder Brandi Peiler was named to the second team.
Peiler, a transfer from Hawaii Pacific, made an immediate impact for the Rainbow Wahine this season. During the regular season, she played in 47 games and started 45 of those in the outfield. Peiler went 45-for-134 for a .336 average. She hit two doubles, nine home runs, scored 15 runs, and drove in 27 runs. She was named WAC Player of the Week (April 3) when she went 7-8 for a .875 batting average in four games against Grambling State and San Jose State. Last week, she earned a spot on the WAC’s all-tournament team.
As the only Bulldog and WAC player to be a three-time conference player of the year selection, Clark was just the fifth Bullldog to be a four-time first team all-region selection overall and the first at her position as she joins outfielder Laura Berg (1994-95, 97-98), first baseman Gena Strang, pitcher/utility Amanda Scott (1997-2000) and pitcher/utility Jamie Southern (2002-05).
Mackin, who garnered WAC Freshman of the Year honors a week ago as well, is the fourth Bulldog freshman pitcher and 11th freshman overall to garner first team all-region accolades. Having tied the freshman and single-season school mark for 10-strikeouts games (19) versus Hawai’i, she is the third Bulldog to post a 300-strikeout season and the fourth rookie to record a 25-win season.
FRESNO STATE CAPTURES WAC TITLE ? Fresno State won its third-straight Western Athletic Conference title this season. It was also the ninth in the last 11 years for the Bulldogs. Hawai?i the only other team to win a WAC regular season title since 1998, winning in 2003.
WAC TOURNAMENT NOTES ? The final 7-0 win by Nevada was the seventh shutout in 11 games at the WAC Tournament. The five wins and six games by Nevada is a WAC Tournament Record. Hawai’i improves to 6-4 in two appearances in the WAC Tournament. The Rainbow Wahine also appeared in the 1999 tournament. In the four WAC Tournaments to date, the tournament MVP has come from four different schools (Kelly Brookhart, Creighton, 1999; Janet Womack, Utah, 1992; Amanda Scott, Fresno State, 1999; Jordan McPherson, Nevada, 2006). No. 4 seeded Nevada is the lowest seeded team to ever win the WAC Tournament. All three previous tournament Champions (Utah ’91 and ’92, Fresno State ’99) were number one seeds.
HAWAI?I’S SMETHURST PERFECT AGAIN ? Hawai?i freshman pitcher Justine Smethurst threw her third, solo perfect game in a five-inning, 8-0 win over opening round opponent Louisiana Tech. Smethurst matched her career-high with 11 strike outs, and allowed no ball to reach the outfield. She threw her second solo perfect game of the season against Utah State on May 5. Smethurst, a freshman from Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, shut down the Aggies in the opening game of the three-game series. She struck out six en route to retiring all 21 batters. Smethurst threw 94 pitches, 65 for strikes. She hit the full count mark only three times, including an 11-pitch battle featuring five consecutive foul balls. Smethurst’s first perfect game came against Longwood on March 16. She also had a combined perfect game with Jessica Morton at Grambling State in which she threw 3.0 innings in the five inning, 25-0 win.
NEVADA CAPTURES FIRST WAC TOURNAMENT TITLE ? Nevada earned its first WAC Tournament title with a, 7-0, win over third-seeded Hawai?i. The Wolf Pack won two of three games to win first the WAC Tournament since 1999. Nevada’s sophomore pitcher Jordan McPherson earned the tournament MVP by not allowing an earned run in 41.0 innings pitched. McPherson only walked four batters, while striking out 34. The Wolf Pack won the tournament in only their fourth-season after the re-instatement of the program.
Third-seeded Hawai?i captured the first game of the three-game series for the 2006 WAC Tournament title. The Wolf Pack battled back to win the second game 4-2. Sophomore Jordan McPherson pitched every inning of the first two games for Nevada. The Rainbow Wahine defeated fourth-seeded Nevada, 1-0, in game one.
To reach the championship, the Wolf Pack defeated fifth-seeded New Mexico State, 1-0, to advance. Neither Hawai?i nor Nevada had lost a game in the WAC Tournament. Top-seeded Fresno State was eliminated by third-seeded Hawai?i, 6-5. The Bulldogs avoided elimination with a 9-0 five-inning win over sixth-seeded Louisiana Tech. Second-seeded San Jose State became the first team eliminated, losing to fifth-seeded New Mexico State, 5-0.
On day one of the 2006 WAC Softball Tournament, fourth seeded-Nevada upset top-seeded Fresno State, 2-1. Brittany Lorenzen drove in two runs with a single to centerfield in the sixth to give the Wolf Pack the lead. Third-seeded Hawai?i won the first game of the tournament with a 8-0 five-inning win over sixth-seeded Louisiana Tech. All-WAC freshman Justine Smethurst pitched a perfect game with 11 strikeouts. Nevada pitcher Jordan McPherson almost topped Smethurst when she threw a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts as the Wolf Pack topped New Mexico State, 2-0. In the third game of the tournament, Hawai?i won its third game in as many days with a 3-1 come-from-behind win over second-seeded San Jose State. San Jose State’s Carlie Hill and Hawai?i’s Tyleen Tausaga both homered.
2006 WAC Softball All-Tournament Team
Christina Clark, Sr., SS, Fresno State
Brittany Lorenzen, Sr., SS, Nevada
Kymberly Silagyi, Fr., 2B, Nevada
Tyleen Tausaga, Jr., 1B, Hawai’i
Kristi Yoshizawa, Jr., C, Hawai’i
Kaulana Gould, So., OF, Hawai’i
Brandi Peiler, So., OF, Hawai’i
Kristi Randall, Fr., OF, New Mexico State
Jordan McPherson, So., P, Nevada
Kate Robinson, So., DP, Hawai’i
Robin Mackin, Fr., UT, Fresno State
MVP: Jordan McPherson, Nevada
SINGLE-SEASON LEADERS ? Fresno State freshman Robin Mackin was first in the WAC in single-season strikeouts with 402. Fresno State All-American Jamie Southern held the WAC record for strikeouts in a season with 400. In overall games, Mackin was also first in strikeouts per seven inning, averaging 10.3. In WAC games, Mackin also set a WAC record averaging, 10.97 strikeouts per seven innings. Fresno State senior All-American Christina Clark’s .500 average in league games is the tied for third. Clark’s overall batting average of .430 is the 10th best in a single season.
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