SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Seniors Jamie Schloredt (3-for-4), Izmena Cabrera (2-for-4) and Rachel Miles (2-for-4) each had multiple-hit games and a pair of RBIs to lead Sacramento State to a 7-5 victory over Vermont in the fifth and final round of the National Invitational Softball Tournament Sunday morning at PAL Field.
The Hornets had to battle back from a pair of one-run deficits during the game as the team pounded out 12 hits and seven runs. Sacramento State’s offense, which had struggled the past few weeks, has found its stride lately as the team has recorded double figures in hits in three straight games. Over that three-game stretch, Sacramento State has combined for 18 runs and 33 hits.
With the victory, Sacramento State finished the three-day, five-game tournament with a 2-3 record, and moved its overall record to 9-15 this season. The Hornets have won five of their last eight games after beginning the season with a 4-12 record.
Cabrera, who had a two-out, RBI-triple in the sixth inning to give the Hornets a lead they would never relinquish, has now hit safely in seven straight games. She has five multiple-hit games during the seven-game spurt and is batting .565 (13-for-23) with eight runs, five doubles and a triple during the hitting streak.
After Vermont took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, the Hornets responded with a three-run bottom half of the inning, highlighted by an RBI-single from Miles, an RBI-double from Cabrera and an RBI-single from Schloredt. The lead was short lived, however, as Vermont took advantage of two Hornet errors to score three times in the top of the fourth to reclaim a 4-3 lead.
The Hornets bounced back yet again in the bottom of the fourth after senior Jenice Bartee connected for a solo home run and Miles singled home Alicia Noriega. Both runs in the inning were scored after two outs had been recorded.
After Vermont tied the game at 5-5 with a run in the top of the sixth, the Hornets looked to Cabrera and Schloredt again in the bottom half of the inning. With freshman Desiree Beltran on first base and two outs in the inning, Cabrera tripled to left-center easily scoring Beltran, and Schloredt followed by singling home Cabrera to give the Hornets a 7-5 lead.
Hornet reliever Shelby Voelz allowed a leadoff single to Vermont in the seventh, but retired the next three batters in succession to pick up her third win of the season. Voelz (3-5) worked the final 3.1 innings, allowing four hits and one run. With Hornet ace Megan Schaefer missing each of the five games during the NIST because of the flu, Voelz, who is a freshman, has pitched in four straight games. She has entered the game in relief of junior Brittani Clifford in three of those games (including today), and finished the tournament with a 2-2 record and a 2.67 ERA.
Joining Miles, Cabrera and Schloredt with a multiple-hit game for the Hornets was Loomis, who finished 2-for-2 with a sacrifice and a stolen base. All but two Sacramento State starters finished with at least one hit.
Both Cabrera and Schloredt had monster tournaments, as Cabrera finished the five-game tourney batting .529 (9-for-17) with six runs and three RBIs, while Schloredt hit .500 (7-for-14) with a double, home run, two walks and four RBIs. Loomis hit .353 and Miles finished with a .316 average during tournament play.
The Hornets, who have played just two home games all season, now embark upon a season-long 15-game homestand beginning with next week’s Capital Classic. Sacramento State is hosting the Capital Classic for the 17th straight year, but 2009 will mark the first time the tournament will be played on campus at the Hornets’ home field (Shea Stadium). This year’s tourney will feature 14 games over a four-day span (March 19-22), beginning on Thursday when the Hornets play Colorado State at 1 p.m. Complete tournament information can be found by clicking here.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Seniors 
