POWAY, Calif. -- Sophomore Lindy Winkler and senior Amanda Moreland each had two hits and an RBI to lead the Sacramento State softball team to a 4-1 victory over Loyola-Chicago in the first round of the Campbell/Cartier Tournament Friday afternoon at Sportsplex USA.The Hornets, who have now won four of their last five games, improved to 4-6 overall this season. Sacramento State will play five times over the course of the three-day tournament, including a game tonight (8 p.m.) against Auburn. With the loss, Loyola-Chicago dropped to 0-2.
Freshman pitcher Jennifer Fryou (2-0) picked up her second career win, allowing just two hits and one run over seven innings. The Aromas, Calif., native also struck out a season-high eight batters while retiring 16 of the final 17 batters of the game. Fryou is now allowing opponents to hit just .184 against her this season.
Loyola-Chicago got on the board in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI-double from Raven Gengler. The Ramblers had a chance to score more, but Fryou worked out of a one-out, runners at second and third situation. The Hornets tied the game in the third on an RBI-single from Winkler scoring senior Amy Walter.
The Hornets added one in the sixth (on a sacrifice fly from freshman Amy Jo McKenzie) and two more in the seventh (RBI-single from Moreland and an error allowing Stephanie Lockhart to score). After tallying just one hit through the first four innings, Sacramento State had six hits over the final three innings.
Mia Pangere (0-1) picked up the loss for Loyola-Chicago, allowing four runs (three earned) and seven hits in seven innings.
After the Hornets play Auburn tonight, the team returns for two more games on Saturday (Feb. 20) against 16th-ranked Oregon (10 a.m.) and Iowa State (12:30 p.m.).
