SOFTBALL CONCLUDES TOURNAMENT WITH LOSS TO CAL STATE FULLERTON

2/18/2007

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Courtney Martinez, Lauren Lupinetti and Ashley Van Boxmeer each homered to lead Cal State Fullerton to a 9-0 victory over Sacramento State in the fifth and final round of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic Sunday morning at the Craig Complex.

With the loss, Sacramento State finished the tournament with a 1-4 record, and dropped to 3-7 overall this season. The Hornets have lost four in a row, and seven of the last eight. However, during the team’s last eight games, five of those losses have come against four teams ranked in the nation’s top 12 (No. 1 Tennessee, No. 6 Northwestern, No. 11 Washington and No. 12 Stanford) and one receiving votes in the top 25 (Cal State Fullerton).

The Hornets, who return to action for a three-day, four-game tournament next week (Feb. 23-25) in Davis, will play their first 21 games of the season away from home before taking on Iowa State in the home opener on March 14.

With the victory, Cal State Fullerton, which combined for nine runs and nine hits, improved to 5-5.

The Titans scored one in the first, five more in the third and three in the fourth, while Titan starter Candice Baker limited Sacramento State to just one hit while striking out nine over five innings. The game was stopped after five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.

Lupinetti finished with two hits and four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the third inning. Martinez finished with three RBIs, including a two-run bomb in the fourth. Van Boxmeer’s solo home run came after Lupinetti’s blast in the third.

Baker improved to 3-2 with the victory, as she faced just two batters over the minimum. Hornet starter Brittani Clifford (0-2) picked up the loss, allowing eight runs (seven earned) and seven hits over 3.1 innings.

Sacramento State’s Jamie Schloredt (1-for-2) got the Hornets’ only hit of the game. Through 10 games, Schloredt is now batting a team-high .517 (15-for-29) with two doubles, one triple, three home runs and seven RBIs. The catcher’s slugging percentage is a ridiculous .966, and she has thrown out five runners attempting to steal a base.

A total of 15 Hornets played in today’s game.

Sacramento State begins next week’s UC Davis Tournament with a game on Friday, Feb. 23, against UC Riverside at 3 p.m.