April 22, 2011

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The top offense in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference was held in check on Friday as Sacramento State took a pair of low-scoring games, 2-1 and 2-0 over LMU at Shea Stadium in Sacramento.

In game one, the Lions (23-23, 7-3 PCSC) failed to capitalize on three bases-loaded situations and fell to 1-3 in extra inning games as the Hornets (13-21, 5-5 PCSC) pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning. In game two, Taylor Stroud limited LMU to just two hits, tying a season-low, and Erin McCorrmick's sixth-inning homer proved the difference for Sac State's ninth consecutive win in the series.

Sacramento State 2, LMU 1 (11 innings)
LMU's four-game winning streak came to a halt in extra innings when Alyssa Nakken knocked in the winning run with a fielder's choice with one out in the bottom of the 11th. The Lions had bases loaded in the first, eighth, and tenth innings but came up empty in each frame as they left 12 runners on base overall.

Sophomore Molly Medeiros (11-6) suffered her first loss since April 2 despite going all 11 innings. She allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits and struck out six in her 12th complete-game of the season. Sophomore Olivia Alvarez and freshman Kathryn Dutton each had two hits.

An eventful first inning would set the theme for the day as both teams loaded the bases but the Hornets would be the ones to capitalize, taking a 1-0 lead. Three singles had the Lions poised to get on the board but Megan Schaefer got freshman Meghan Harman to pop up to end the threat. In the bottom half, Devin Caldwell's two-out single knocked in Jessica Abelia with the game's first run.

The Lions would draw level in the fifth when Alvarez led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second. Junior pinch-hitter Brittany Pereda came off the bench to tie things up with a single up the middle as Alvarez motored home from second.

The game would stay tied at 1-1 as both teams left the go-ahead runners on base. In the home half of the fifth, Medeiros stranded Kelly Shepard at third after her leadoff double. As the game went into extra innings, the Lions looked to strike immediately in the top of the eighth. Senior Jennifer Nayudu led off with a single and walks to juniors Sam Fischer and Kelly Sarginson loaded the bases with two outs. Dutton, who hit a grand slam last weekend and had RBI in all four games at Santa Clara, could not come through on this occasion, though, and grounded out to second.

The international tiebreaker came into effect in the 10th and the Lions again loaded the bases. With a runner placed on second, sophomore Danielle Smith singled to put runners on the corners with no out. Shelby Voelz came in to replace Schaefer and intentionally walked Fischer to create a force at any base. That brought up the PCSC's leader in home runs and RBI in Sarginson, who already has two grand slams to her credit this season. However, her fly ball to left was not deep enough for the runners to tag and Dutton popped up to second for the third out.

The Hornets would get the winning run in the 11th when Yesenia Alcala was placed on second, moving to third on Marissa Navarro's double to right-center. After Caldwell was intentionally walked, Medeiros got the first out by forcing Paige Martin to pop up. Nakken would then send a grounder towards Fischer at short but Alcala made it home in time to provide Sac State with the walk-off win.

Voelz (1-3) got the win for the Hornets, tossing two innings of hitless relief of Schaefer, who went nine innings, allowing the single run on nine hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Caldwell collected three of Sac State's nine hits while McCormick had two.

Sacramento State 2, LMU 0
The Lions had no answer for Stroud (7-10) in game two as the Hornet pitcher, who tossed a no-hitter against San Diego on April 9, limited the Lions to singles by Fischer and Dutton. Stroud handed LMU just its sixth shut-out of the season as her two-hitter was enough to out-duel LMU sophomore Dana Waldusky (6-7), who allowed just four hits in the complete game.

Waldusky and Stroud were both on their games, matching zeroes through the first 5 1/2 innings. Neither hurler allowed a runner to reach third until the sixth, when McCormick's two-out homer accounted for all of the scoring. Her second homer of the season, a two-run shot to left-center, also plated Kelli Frye, who had led off with a single.

The teams will return to Shea Stadium on Saturday for a noon doubleheader. The games will mark LMU's final road contests of the season and the Hornets will honor their seniors playing in their final home games.