JONES’ WALKOFF DOUBLE SPARKS SOFTBALL’S WIN OVER PACIFIC IN SECOND DAY OF FRESNO STATE KICKOFF

2/14/2010

FRESNO, Calif. – Freshman Erin Jones’ two-out, two-run walkoff double in the bottom of the seventh highlighted a 3-2 victory over Pacific in the fourth and final game of the Fresno State Softball Kickoff Sunday afternoon at Bulldog Diamond.

In the Hornets’ first game of the day, Sacramento State dropped a 6-0 decision to tournament host and 25th-ranked Fresno State.

Despite starting seven of the team’s nine newcomers (including six freshmen) during different parts of the tournament, Sacramento State finished 2-2 at the season-opening two-day, three-team tourney. The Hornets won both games against Pacific, and dropped both games to Fresno State.

The Bulldogs were crowned champions of the tournament by virtue of a perfect 4-0 record, while the Hornets finished 2-2 and Pacific went 0-4. Sacramento State has now defeated Pacific on six straight occasions dating back to the 2008 season.

Jones’ heroics highlighted the Hornets’ second game of the day. After Pacific had scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh, Sacramento State was down to its final at-bat. Sophomore Jessica Abelia, who started both games at shortstop today in place of the injured Desiree Beltran (ankle), led off the inning with a single. After Nicole Frayn struck out, sophomore Alyssa Nakken and freshman Kelli Frye followed with singles to load the bases with one out.

Pacific pitcher Shaina Brock got the second out on a ground ball by freshman Emily McCormick, which forced Abelia at the plate and set the stage for Jones. The Antioch, Calif., native, drove a 2-1 pitch to the left-center field gap scoring both Nakken and Frye with the winning runs. Jones, who is batting .333, now has three doubles in 12 at-bats this season.

Junior Megan Schaefer (1-0) picked up the win for the Hornets, allowing just two runs (one earned) and seven hits over seven innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out one while throwing 106 pitches. Brock (0-2) got the loss for the Tigers, allowing three runs and seven hits over 6.2 innings.

Jones finished the game 2-for-4, and McCormick hit her first home run of the season, a solo shot to get the Hornets on the board in the fourth inning. Six of Sacramento State’s nine starters had at least one hit in the contest.

In the Hornets’ first game of the day, Fresno State’s Mackenzie Oakes tossed a no-hitter, allowing just three walks while striking out seven. It marked the first time Sacramento State has been no-hit in over 10 years. The last time came on May 14, 1999, when Long Beach State’s Kristi Fox blanked the Hornets in a 3-0 win.

Oakes picked up both wins over Sacramento State this weekend, and had the Hornets’ number in each appearance. Yesterday, Oakes got the win in relief, allowing just two hits over 3.1 innings. She threw a combined 10.1 innings against Sacramento State and allowed just two hits with four walks and 16 strikeouts.

The Bulldogs scored three times in the first inning on a three-run homer from Michelle Moses. Fresno State would later add single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

The Hornets pushed just one runner past first base the entire game after back-to-back walks put runners at first and second in the second inning with two outs. However, after that second free pass, Oakes retired 12 batters in a row until Jones reached in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch.

Nakken, who was making her first appearance in the circle since March 6 of last season, picked up the loss after allowing four runs and six hits over four innings. Junior Jacquelyn Serrano pitched the final two innings, allowing two hits and two unearned runs.

Sacramento State returns to action for the softball version of the Causeway Classic on Tuesday, Feb. 16, when the team travels to UC Davis for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Each game will be worth 1.67 points in the Causeway Cup, the annual all-sports challenge between the two schools. The Hornets and Aggies play a third time later in the season.