SOFTBALL TROUNCES SANTA CLARA IN OPENER, GAME TWO POSTPONED

4/11/2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Eight different Sacramento State starters scored at least one run, and nine Hornets had at least one RBI as the team defeated Santa Clara, 17-0, in a Pacific Coast Softball Conference game Sunday afternoon at a wet and windy Shea Stadium. The game, which included two rain delays totalling 28 minutes, was stopped after five innings because the Hornets had more than enough runs to institute the eight-run mercy rule.

Originally scheduled as a doubleheader, the two teams played one game today because of a field that became unplayable due to constant drizzle. In fact, today’s conditions were borderline miserable with chilly temperatures, wind that reached as high as 20 miles per hour, and a light rain that never stopped during the entire game. The second game of the doubleheader will be made up at a later date still to be determined.

Coupled with yesterday’s doubleheader sweep, Sacramento State won all three games from Santa Clara in this weekend’s series and improved to 13-24 overall and 3-0 in the conference. The Hornets have now 11 straight PCSC games dating back to last season, and have won 12 consecutive games against Santa Clara dating back to 2007.

With the losses, the Broncos dropped to 8-18 overall and 0-3 in the PCSC.

During the three-game series, Sacramento State’s offense hit .453 (39-for-86) with 33 runs, four doubles, six home runs, 28 RBIs, a .709 slugging percentage and .505 on-base percentage. The Hornets averaged 11.0 runs per game and six different players hit home runs. The Hornets’ pitching staff of starters Megan Schaefer and Shelby Voelz combined for a 1.11 ERA while limiting Bronco hitters to a .131 batting average and striking out 20 batters over 19.0 innings.

In today’s game, every Hornet starter had at least one hit. That included Marissa Navarro, who clubbed her first home run of the season in the second inning, a blast that cut through the wind and cleared the left-center field wall by at least 25 feet. Sacramento State, which was the designated visiting team today per PCSC rules, scored twice in the second inning, and five times in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings. In fact, the Hornets batted around in each of the final three innings, and every Sacramento State batter reached base safely in the fourth inning.

Jenice Bartee finished 3-for-4 with a school-record tying four runs scored. In addition, she stole her 10th base of the season and is now a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen base opportunities this season. Nine different Hornets had at least one RBI, including Navarro (3), Kelly Shepard (2), Ashlee Adkins (2), Jillian Canete (2), Alyssa Nakken (1), Kelli Frye (1), Emily McCormick (1), Erin Jones (1) and Lauren Blair (1).

Schaefer (5-3) was dominant in her third game back from a concussion as the right-hander allowed just one hit while walking two and striking out six over five innings. Schaefer retired the first nine batters she faced in succession and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning until a Jackie Nicora one-out single broke it up. Santa Clara’s Ali Nash, Riley McKay and Kaitlyn Rauschnot all threw at least one inning for the Broncos with Nash (3-4) taking the loss.

Sacramento State returns to action next weekend for a PCSC four-game series as the team travels south to face San Diego (April 17-18). The teams will play doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday, beginning at noon.