OFFENSE UNLOADS IN 8-4 SOFTBALL WIN OVER UC RIVERSIDE

3/27/2010

DAVIS, Calif. – Five different Sacramento State players had multiple-hit games, and sophomore Alyssa Nakken (3) and freshman Emily McCormick (4) combined for seven RBIs in an 8-4 victory over UC Riverside in the third round of the Aggie Softball Stampede Saturday morning at La Rue Field.

The combination of Nakken (2-for-4 with two runs, a home run and three RBIs) and McCormick (3-for-4, two doubles and four RBIs) gave UC Riverside fits all day as the two accounted for all seven of Sacramento State’s RBIs.

The victory was the second of the season against UC Riverside, and improved Sacramento State (9-21 overall) to 1-2 at the three-day, four-game tournament. The Hornets opened tourney play yesterday by falling to both UC Davis and 14th-ranked Cal. Sacramento State concludes play tomorrow afternoon (12:30 p.m.) against UC Riverside.

The Highlanders (14-16) opened the scoring with two unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning, before the Hornets scored seven unanswered runs to take a commanding 7-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

One swing of the bat from Nakken tied the game in the third as she blasted a 1-0 pitch over the left-center field for a two-run homer. Nakken, who now has a team-high four home runs, has hit safely in nine of her last 11 games. During that 11-game stretch, the Woodland, Calif., native is batting .441 (15-for-34) with eight runs, three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs and a .794 slugging percentage.

After two outs had been recorded in the fifth, the Hornets mounted a rally as five straight batters reached base safely. Among those hits was an RBI-single from Nakken and a two-run double from McCormick to give the team a 5-2 lead.

The Hornets tacked on two more runs in the sixth (two-run single from McCormick) and one more in the seventh (Lauren Blair scored on a Highlander fielding error) to round out the team’s scoring output.

Jacquelyn Serrano (2-4) worked the first six innings for the win, allowing four hits and four unearned runs while walking two and striking out a pair. Shelby Voelz came on in relief and worked a perfect 1-2-3 seventh inning to conclude the game.

Along with Nakken and McCormick, Jenice Bartee (2-for-4), Jillian Canete (2-for-4 with a run) and Kelly Shepard (2-for-3 with two runs) also had multiple-hit games for Sacramento State.

The Hornets finished the game with a season-high 13 hits.