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MEEKS AND CLARK POWER SOFTBALL TO 7-4 VICTORY OVER KANSAS
3/20/2007
 SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Junior Sherry Clark had a home run and a career-high four RBIs, and sophomore Kayla Meeks picked up the win and went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead Sacramento State to a 7-4 victory over Kansas in a non-conference softball game Tuesday afternoon at Shea Stadium.
Clark’s three run homer in the fourth inning gave Sacramento State a 5-3 lead and the Hornets never trailed again. Meeks, who went seven strong innings to pick up her third victory of the season, had three hits, including a double and an RBI.
The victory for Sacramento State came over a Kansas team that is now 12 games above the .500 mark (21-9-1). The Hornets improved to 2-1 on their home field, and moved their overall record to 7-18. Sacramento State had lost 11 of its last 13 games prior to today’s victory.
Kansas scored one run in the first, second and third innings to take a 3-1 lead. Clark’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second got the Hornets their first run, and Meeks RBI-double in the bottom of the third drew the Hornets within 3-2. Clark, who transferred from Solano Junior College prior to the season, then unloaded on a Sarah Vertelka fast ball for her first career home run in the Green and Gold. Clark’s bomb scored Andrea Sherrill and Rachel Miles to give the Hornets the two-run lead.
Sacramento State added two insurance runs in the fifth after Miles’ two-out, two-run single scored Meeks and Amy Jo McKenzie. Miles and McKenzie both finished 2-for-3 as McKenzie extended her hitting streak to a career-high eight games.
Meeks’ three hits were a season high as the sophomore raised her batting average to .360. She allowed Kansas’ potent offense eight hits and four runs (two earned) over seven innings. Vertelka (4-4) got the loss for the Jayhawks, allowing three runs (two earned) and one hit in a third of an inning.
Sacramento State returns to action this weekend as the team takes part in the Pacific Round Robin in Stockton. The Hornets will play four games over two days against UNLV and host Pacific.
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