pointafter_Stanislaus softball notes

Cal State Stanislaus third baseman Erica McIntyre has a cool story I finally hd a chance to relate when she did so well in Friday's doubleheader against Chico State. McIntyre scored the winning run in the first game - a 3-2 victory - and had three hits in the Warriors' 4-3 win in 11 innings. She was also hopping at the "hot corner" - snagging four line drives and fielding four other ground balls.

"I usually don't get that many balls," McIntyre said. "Pitchers usually pitch outside and the balls go to the right. It was great to be in the game."

McIntyre likely took playing time away from a utility infielder when she joined the team in January. No four-year schools approached her after the was a first-team All-Big 8 selection at Sacramento City. The Fairfield native said she kept working out, hoping she'd get a late call, but preparing herself for the worst while doing secretarial duties for her parents' business.

But Stanislaus coach Jan Schefkowitz was in need of a true third baseman and called the right person - McIntyre's Sac City coach Robert Maglione, who knew McIntyre still wanted to play. She worked out with the Warriors and said her new teammates have been great. It helps that McIntyre is hitting .333 and her fielding percentage is .929.

"She's got a lot of pop in her bat," Schefkowitz said. "She's not a singles hitter. She's in a great spot, batting sixth. She works hard and does great in our lineup."

The Warriors came thorugh with timely hits Friday - something they lacked when losing three of four games in last weekend's San Francisco State series. In the second game, Stanislaus answered Chico State - each scoring runs in the first inning, and the Warriors scoring two runs after the Wildcats scored two to take a 3-1 lead in the sixth. More important than the way Stanislaus won - scoring in the bottom of the seventh and the 11th - was getting the wins.

"If we would have lost two games at home, in our home conference openers, that would have been a blow," Schefkowitz admitted. "Winning takes the pressure off and puts everyone in a good mood. They showed a lot of heart."

Schefkowitz half-teased trainer Gary Hogan to take good care of pitcher Jessica Gaumnitz - knowing he would - after Gaumnitz earned her sixth win of the season by throwing a complete seven-inning game in the opener. She threw four innings of scoreless relief in the second game with two strikeouts - allowing the first two batters she saw to reach base (a single and a fielder's choice) before retiring the next nine batters.

Senior shortstop Meghan Franksen almost ended the finale in the bottom of the seventh with a long fly ball to center that was caught at the fence. It was Franksen who got Stanislaus on the board in the first inning, hitting a one-out single to left and scoring on an Ashlee Genseal double.