MENDONCA MASTERFUL IN SHUTOUT; BASEBALL DEFEATS CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE
2/18/2012
Starter Tanner Mendonca went the distance in a shutout of Cal State Northridge on Saturday.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sophomore starting pitcher Tanner Mendonca baffled Cal State Northridge hitters all day as he recorded the Hornets' first nine-inning shutout since 2007 in the Sacramento State baseball team's 2-0 victory over Cal State Northridge on Saturday afternoon at John Smith Field.
The Hornets (1-1) received RBIs from designated hitter Trevor Paine and second baseman Andrew Ayers but only needed one run as Mendonca was flawless. The Visalia, Calif., native scattered five hits over nine innings with two strikeouts and two walks in his first career shutout.
The last time a Sacramento State starting pitcher recorded a shutout was on April 30 last season when Brandon Sandoval gave up just two hits in a seven-inning shutout in the first game of a doubleheader against San Jose State. The nine-inning shutout, however, was by Alvaro Orozco against Stanford on Mar. 24, 2007.
Mendonca retired the side in order in the third, fifth, sixth and eighth innings. His only jam of the day came in the fourth inning. With one out, Cal State Northridge had the bases loaded following a hit and two walks but Mendonca, on a 1-2 count, forced CSUN catcher Dylan Young into a double play to end the inning. Cal State Northridge put a runner on third with two outs in the second inning, but a ground ball to short ended that threat.
Sacramento State scored in the first inning after a pair of errors by Cal State Northridge second baseman Tommy Simis loaded the bases. Paine smashed a liner to center field for a sacrifice fly for the Hornets' first run of the day. In the eighth inning the first two Sacramento State batters lined out before Will Soto hit a single to the shortstop and then stole second. He moved to third on David Del Grande's single and scored on Ayer's single through the left side.
Cal State Northridge designated hitter Todd Eskelin was the only Matador with two hits and also took one of the team's two walks.
The rubber match of the series will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow with junior RHP Zach Morgan on the mound for the Hornets.
Sacramento State 2, Cal State Northridge 0 (Feb 18, 2012 at Sacramento, Calif.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cal State Northridge 000 000 000 - 0 5 2 (1-1)
Sacramento State.... 100 000 01X - 2 10 0 (1-1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Cal State Northridge - Roberts, Vincent; Keel, Jerry(3). Sacramento State -
Mendonca, Tanner.
Win-Mendonca, Tanner(1-0) Loss-Roberts, Vincent(0-1) T-2:01 A-291
Weather: 60 degrees, partly cloudy
