SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior pitcher Brianne Ferguson pitched a two-hit shutout and freshman Hilary Johnson led all players with three hits to pace Sacramento State to a 7-0 victory over BYU in the first round of the Capital Classic Softball Tournament Friday morning at the Sacramento Softball Complex. With the win, the Hornets increased their winning streak to a season-high four games as the team improved to 16-11 overall and 1-0 at the tournament. BYU, which is currently receiving votes in the top 25, dropped to 15-3 with the loss. Sacramento State returns later today to face Illinois at 3 p.m.
Ferguson (9-5) faced just four batters over the minimum while striking out five in seven innings of work. The right-hander lowered her season ERA to 0.87 as BYU failed to push a runner past second base during the entire contest.
Sacramento State pounded out seven runs and a season-high tying 13 hits as Johnson (3-for-5), Lindy Winkler (2-for-4), Erin Coyne (2-for-4 with an RBI), Gloria Toledo (2-for-4 with a double, stolen base and two RBIs) and Ashley Dawson (2-for-4 with a triple, stolen base and an RBI) each had multiple-hit games.
The Hornets posted one run in both the second and third, two more in the fifth and three in the sixth inning to complete the game''s scoring. Toledo''s two-run double in the fifth inning which scored Winkler and Teri Ann Caoagan was the game''s big blow as four different Hornets had at least one RBI during the game.
Toledo improved her batting average to .306 this season while Dawson is now hitting .300.
BYU pitcher Brooke Boyce (3-1) took the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) and eight hits in 4.2 innings of work.
