SOFTBALL SPLITS FIRST TWO GAMES OF THE CAPITAL CLASSIC
3/19/2009
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Freshman Desiree Beltran combined for five hits, including a walkoff RBI-single to beat Colorado State, and senior Rachel Miles added three doubles to help Sacramento State split its first two games of the 17th-annual Capital Classic softball tournament Thursday afternoon at Shea Stadium.
The Hornets defeated Colorado State, 8-7, in eight innings to begin the day, and later fell to BYU, 9-2.
Sacramento State is hosting the Capital Classic at the team’s home facility (Shea Stadium) for the first time in the tournament’s history. This year’s tourney has seven teams playing 14 games over four days (March 19-22), and Sacramento State played the first and only two games of the tournament today. Four more games appear on tomorrow’s schedule, beginning at 9 a.m. with UNLV taking on Dartmouth. Sacramento State does not play again until facing UNLV on Saturday at 1 p.m.
With the split, Sacramento State is 1-1 at the tournament, and 10-16 overall this season. Colorado State dropped to 13-16 with the loss, and BYU improved to 17-13 with the victory.
In the Hornets’ first game of the day, Sacramento State erased a 4-1 second inning, and a 5-3 fifth inning deficit to eventually defeat Colorado State in a game that featured plenty of offense (combined 15 runs and 24 hits) and some rough defense (four errors).
Miles (4-for-5 with three doubles, three runs and an RBI) and Beltran (3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs) combined for seven of the Hornets’ 12 hits. One of those hits for Beltran was a walkoff single with one out in the bottom of the eighth which scored Jenice Bartee with the game-winning run.
Sacramento State scored in all but three innings, including once in the first, two more in the third, fifth and sixth innings, and a single run in the eighth. Trailing, 5-3, in the fifth, the Hornets tied the game at 5-5 after Miles doubled home Alicia Noriega and Jamie Schloredt’s sacrifice fly scored Miles.
The Hornets took a 7-5 lead in the sixth with the help of a Colorado State error. With Bartee on first base and one out in the inning, Noriega laid down a bunt that Rams third baseman Robyn Mask fielded and threw wildly down the right field line. As the ball rolled in foul territory, both Bartee and Noriega were able to come all the way around to score.
However, Colorado State tied the game with two runs and three hits in the top of the seventh. The Rams could have scored more as they were trailing by one run (7-6) with one out and the bases loaded. Allison Majam singled home Ashley Munoz, but on the play, center fielder Noriega threw out a runner at the plate, and Schloredt’s throw to third then cut down a second runner.
That set up Beltran’s heroics as she lined the first pitch she saw to center field which finally ended a game that lasted two hours and 25 minutes. Freshman Shelby Voelz (4-5) picked up the win in relief, allowing three hits and two runs over 3.0 innings. The Hornets went through three Colorado State pitchers, as Dani Chaplin (4-5) got the loss in 1.1 innings of relief.
“This team has shown the ability to be resilient and we talk about being competitive from the first pitch of the game to the final out,” Sacramento State head coach Kathy Strahan said. “Although the score wouldn’t indicate it against BYU, I felt like we fought hard in both games today. The ability to be resilient and stay competitive is the reason we beat Colorado State.”
In the second game, BYU scored at least one run in each of the first six innings off two Sacramento State pitchers, as Jessica Purcell went 4-for-4 with three doubles, one triple, two runs scored and two RBIs. Stephanie Hopkins added a pair of hits and an RBI as the Cougars’ Nos. 3-7 hitters each collected at least one RBI.
BYU raced to a 5-0 lead, scoring once in the first inning, two more in the second and one in each of the third and fourth innings. Sacramento State cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth on RBI-singles from Sherry Clark and Noriega, but BYU immediately tacked on two more runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to put the game away.
Christie Zinanti (9-6) went the distance for BYU, allowing seven hits and two runs while walking four batters and striking out six. Junior Brittani Clifford (2-6) took the loss for the Hornets as she lasted 5.2 innings before Voelz threw the final 1.1 innings of relief.
Beltran finished 2-for-4 against BYU, and completed her day with five hits (including two doubles) and two RBIs in eight at-bats. Miles had four hits, three runs scored, three doubles and an RBI in eight at-bats. Senior Izmena Cabrera collected hits in both games and improved her hitting streak to a career-high nine games.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Freshman 
