SOFTBALL FALLS TO PORTLAND STATE IN RUBBER GAME OF THE SERIES
4/7/2007
PORTLAND, Ore. – Ali Klemenok had a two-run sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to give Portland State a 2-0 lead and the Vikings went on to defeat Sacramento State, 3-1, in a Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC) game Saturday afternoon at Erv Lind Stadium.
The two teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader today to complete a four-game series. However, morning rain pushed back the original start time (noon) by over three hours and only one game was played due to the Hornets’ travel plans. The fourth game will be made up if necessary on either May 11 or 12 in Portland.
The victory gave Portland State a 2-1 series win as the two teams split a doubleheader yesterday. With the victory, the Vikings improved to 17-20 overall and 2-1 in the PCSC. Sacramento State dropped to 9-25 and 1-2 in the conference. The three-game series marked the conference opener for both teams as Portland State finished first in the PCSC standings last season, one game ahead of second-place Sacramento State.
PSU’s Jackie Heide opened the fifth inning with a double, and one batter later, Sammy Taylor hit a blooper to shallow center. Heide would advance to third and Taylor would move to second on a throw to third base. Klemenok then hit a deep fly ball to center, allowing both Heide and Taylor to tag and score.
The Vikings’ Mandy Hill (15-13), who picked up the win yesterday, allowed just one unearned run on seven hits and no walks in going the distance to earn the win. She also struck out three. Hill added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning for an insurance run to make it 3-0.
Sacramento State, which was the designated home team today despite the game being played in Portland, closed the gap to 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth after sophomore Kayla Meeks’ single drove home Whitney Loomis from second base.
The Hornets threatened to score more in the bottom of the seventh after loading the bases on a Rachel Miles single, an error allowing Hilary Johnson to reach base and an infield single from Amy Tompkins. Johnson and Tompkins both reached base after two outs had been recorded. With the winning run standing on first base, however, Hill was able to strike out Loomis to end the game.
Meeks (5-10) suffered the loss despite limiting the Vikings to just four hits. Meeks also went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in the Hornets’ lone run. Senior third baseman Amy Jo McKenzie went 2-for-3 as the Hornets finished the game with seven hits. Sacramento State left seven runners on base, including a combined four runners in the last two innings. Tompkins, Miles and Keri Elias also had hits for the Hornets.
Sacramento State returns to action on Tuesday, April 10, when the team hosts a doubleheader with UC Davis at 1 p.m. Tuesday’s doubleheader will have large implications in the Causeway Cup standings, the annual all-sports competition between UC Davis and Sacramento State. UC Davis currently owns a very small lead in the Cup standings, 48.67-46.00. Only five more meetings between the two schools remain, including Tuesday’s doubleheader (both games worth 1.67 points), a men’s tennis match in Sacramento on April 13 (worth five points) and two baseball games in Davis (May 8, May 16; both worth one point).
PORTLAND, Ore. – Ali Klemenok had a two-run sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to give Portland State a 2-0 lead and the Vikings went on to defeat Sacramento State, 3-1, in a Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC) game Saturday afternoon at Erv Lind Stadium.
