VOELZ IMPRESSIVE AGAIN, BUT SOFTBALL NARROWLY FALLS TO NEVADA AND 11TH-RANKED STANFORD

2/20/2010

STANFORD, Calif. – One day after throwing a one-hit shutout over UC Riverside, Sacramento State sophomore Shelby Voelz allowed 11th-ranked Stanford just one run and three hits but the Hornets fell to the Cardinal, 1-0, in the fourth round of the Stanford Nike Invitational. Sacramento State lost to Nevada in its 0first game of the day by a 6-4 score.

Despite starting eight underclassmen against Nevada, and nine underclassmen against Stanford, the Hornets (3-7) were able to hang with two of the upper-echelon programs in the nation (Nevada is currently receiving votes, but not ranked in the top 25).

Sacramento State, which beat UC Riverside and lost to Illinois yesterday, dropped to 1-3 at the three-day, five-game tournament. The Hornets wrap up play tomorrow against 17th-ranked Fresno State at 1:30 p.m.

Yesterday, Voelz threw 6.1 hitless innings before settling for a one-hit shutout against UC Riverside. She may have trumped that effort today by allowing Stanford’s potent offensive attack just one run and three hits over six innings. This was the same Cardinal offense that mercy ruled Illinois, UC Riverside and Nevada (all in five innings) during their first three tournament games.

Stanford’s only run came in the third inning when Ashley Hansen singled home Alissa Haber. Voelz (2-3) allowed singles in the first, third and fifth innings, but that’s all Stanford’s offense could generate. The Vancouver, Wash., native finished the game allowing one run, three hits and five walks while striking out four over 6.0 innings.

Sacramento State didn’t get much going against Stanford starter Teagan Gerhart. In fact, the Hornets received singles from Jessica Abelia, Erin Jones and Kelli Frye, but never advanced a runner past first base the entire game. Desiree Beltran went 0-for-3, snapping her hitting streak at seven games. Gerhart (4-0) allowed just three hits while walking none and striking out six over 7.0 innings.

In the Hornets’ first game of the day, Nevada scored six times in the first two innings off Hornet starter Alyssa Nakken, and hung on for the 6-4 win. Junior Jacquelyn Serrano entered the game in the third inning for the struggling Nakken, and was dominant. Serrano allowed just one hit while striking out four over the final 5.0 innings to keep the Hornets in the game.

Nevada scored twice in the top of the first, but the Hornets answered right back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI-single from Beltran and a successful suicide squeeze off the bat of Jenice Bartee that scored Erin Jones.

The Wolf Pack, however, scored four times in the top of the second, highlighted by a two-run single from Sam Bias. Sacramento State cut into the lead in the fifth inning after Jones ripped a two-out, two-run double to left field scoring both Nakken and Frye. Jones continues to be clutch as she is now batting .545 (6-for-11) with two outs in an inning, and all of her team-high seven RBIs have come with two outs.

The Hornets had an opportunity to score in the third inning, but stranded runners at second and third. Jones (2-for-2 with a run and two RBIs) and Beltran (2-for-2 with an RBI) both had multiple-hit games for Sacramento State.

Nevada starter Mallary Darby (2-2) got the win, allowing four runs and six hits while striking out seven over seven innings. Nakken (0-2) took the loss, allowing five hits and six runs over 2.0 innings.

Through 10 games, Beltran (.455), Jones (.407), Abelia (.348) and Nakken (.303) are all batting over .300 for the Hornets.