LOOMIS’ WALKOFF SQUEEZE GAINS SPLIT FOR SOFTBALL AT PORTLAND STATE
4/19/2009
PORTLAND, Ore. -- With one out in bottom of the eighth inning, senior Whitney Loomis laid down a perfect squeeze bunt which scored Jenice Bartee from third base and gave Sacramento State a 6-5 victory over Portland State in the second game of Pacific Coast Softball Conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Erv Lind Stadium. Portland State received a two-run homer from Jenna Wilson in the eighth inning of the first game to win, 4-2.
Per conference rules, Sacramento State was the designated home team in both games of today’s doubleheader despite the games being played in Portland. The Vikings were the home team in both games of yesterday’s doubleheader.
With the split, Sacramento State (20-22, 6-5) salvaged the four-game series which saw Portland State (23-20, 9-3) win each of the first three games. The split also allowed the Hornets to stay in the hunt to win their second consecutive PCSC championship. Sacramento State will need help to do it, but they are 2.5 games behind first-place Portland State with nine contests remaining, including a home makeup game against Saint Mary’s on April 29.
Only three games separate the top five teams in the six-member conference, as Portland State sits in first with a 9-3 record, followed by Loyola Marymount (8-4), Sacramento State (6-5), Saint Mary’s (6-5) and San Diego (6-6). Only eight games remain for four of the conference’s six teams, and nine remain for both Sacramento State and Saint Mary’s.
In today’s nightcap, the lead switched hands four times as Sacramento State was finally able to win in the eighth inning after squandering a bases loaded, no-out situation in the seventh.
After Portland State took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, senior Jamie Schloredt’s two-run homer in the bottom of the inning reclaimed the lead for the Hornets at 3-2. Portland State answered right back with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning from Wilson to put the Vikings back up, 4-3. The Hornets then scored single runs in the fifth (RBI-single from Schloredt) and sixth (sacrifice fly from Rachel Miles) to take the lead at 5-4 heading into the seventh inning.
However, the Vikings answered with a one-out, solo home run from De’Chauna Skinner to tie the score at 5-5. That eventually set up an eighth inning where Jenice Bartee led off with an infield single and stole second base. One out later, she was moved to third on a single to right field from Miles. Loomis then laid down a perfect bunt on a 1-1 pitch to successfully score Bartee and give the Hornets a much-needed win.
Schloredt finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs, a walk, a home run and three RBIs. Freshman Desiree Beltran and Bartee both added a pair of hits. Schaefer (11-6) went the distance for the win, allowing nine hits and five runs (four earned) over 8.0 innings. In fact, Schaefer threw all 16 innings today, and finished the series throwing 22.0 innings over two days. Nichole Latham (13-10) got the loss for Portland State, throwing the final 1.1 innings.
In the first game, Wilson’s two-out, two run homer in the top of the eighth inning gave Portland State the 4-2 victory. The Vikings’ Latham (6.1 innings) and Tori Rogers (1.2 innings) combined to allow Sacramento State just two runs and four hits over eight innings of work.
Portland State never trailed, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third after Brandi Scoggins’ RBI-single scored Wilson. The Hornets cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning on a solo home run from Miles, and tied the score at 2-2 in the sixth on a solo homer from Beltran. Sacramento State also had chances to score in the fifth inning when the team put runners at the corners with one out, but Latham struck out both Alicia Noriega and Miles looking to end the threat.
With the score still tied at 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning, Jackie Heide led off the inning with a single, and was eventually moved to third base with two ground-ball outs. Wilson then delivered the biggest hit of the game, sending a 2-0 pitch from Schaefer over the center field wall for a two-run homer. Sacramento State got the leadoff runner aboard in the bottom of the eighth, but the inning and game would eventually end after Rogers induced Beltran to ground into a double play.
Rogers (8-4) got the win in relief, allowing no hits and no runs over 1.2 innings. Latham struck out eight while walking just one through the first 6.1 innings. Schaefer got the loss, allowing four runs and seven hits over eight innings. Besides the home runs by Miles and Beltran, the Hornets could muster just two other hits (both singles) from Schaefer and Bartee.
Sacramento State returns to action next weekend when the team welcomes Loyola Marymount for a four-game conference series. The two teams will play doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday at noon. Hornet seniors Sherry Clark, Izmena Cabrera, Loomis, Miles and Schloredt will be honored for their contributions to the program prior to Sunday’s doubleheader.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- With one out in bottom of the eighth inning, senior 
