STANFORD, Calif. - Fourth-ranked Stanford posted five runs in the first and one more in the second on the way to a 6-1 victory over Sacramento State in the fifth and final round of the Stanford Softball Invitational Sunday afternoon at Smith Family Stadium.With the loss, Sacramento State dropped to 9-6 overall this year and finished the three-day, five-game tournament with a 2-3 record. The Hornets defeated UAB and UC Davis, but lost to Auburn, Texas Tech and Stanford. The Cardinal were crowned tournament champions as the team finished with a perfect 5-0 record while improving their overall record to 16-1.
In the bottom of the first inning, Catalina Morris led off with a double. A groundout moved her to third and a sacrifice fly by Lauren Lappin brought her home. A single by Michelle Smith was followed by walks to Leah Nelson and Meghan Sickler to load the bases. Tricia Aggabao and Becky McCullough drew walks to score Lappin and Smith. Elizabeth Bendig then singled home Sickler and Aggabao to give Stanford a 5-0 lead.
The Cardinal got an unearned run in the second inning as Lappin scored on a Sacramento State error.
The Hornets got their only run in the top of the fourth on an RBI-fielders choice off the bat of Kayla Williams which scored Lesley Mayhorn from third base.
Sacramento State had at least one hit in three of the first four innings of the game, but Stanford pitchers Laura Severson and Danika Dukes combined to set down the final 11 Hornet batters in succession to end the game.
Severson (7-1) got the win for Stanford, allowing one run and four hits while striking out four over six innings while Dukes pitched a perfect seventh inning in relief. Sacramento State’s Jennifer Fryou (0-3), who allowed just two runs and six hits in a start against Stanford last year, was touched for six runs (five earned) and eight hits over six innings.
Hornet junior Lindy Winkler went 1-for-3 to improve her hitting streak to four games as the center fielder is hitting .538 (7-13) over the four-game stretch. In addition, she has hit safely in all but four games this year and leads the Hornets with a .383 batting average.
Sacramento State returns to action on Thursday, March 3, as the team travels to UC Davis for a doubleheader beginning at 1:30 p.m. The Hornets are 3-0 against the Aggies this year.
