NAKKEN’S CLUTCH HIT DELIVERS SOFTBALL A 6-5 VICTORY OVER UC SANTA BARBARA
2/18/2011
Alyssa Nakken's two-out, RBI-double in the sixth inning delivered what proved to be the game-winning RBI
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State junior Alyssa Nakken delivered a two-out, RBI-double in the bottom of the sixth inning to deliver a 6-5 victory over UC Santa Barbara in the second round of the San Diego Classic Friday afternoon at the USD Softball Complex.
The Hornets (1-3) picked up their first victory of the young season, and improved to 1-1 at the three-day, five-game tournament. Sacramento State, which lost to 22nd-ranked San Diego State to open the tournament last night, returns later today to face 11th-ranked Washington at 2 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara (6-1) lost for the first time all season after opening the year with six consecutive victories.
A three-run triple by the Gauchos’ Brooke Putich in the top of the sixth inning tied the score at 5-5. Hornet freshman Paige Martin then opened the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff walk. She was sacrificed to second base by Kelly Shepard, and after a Hornet strikeout, Nakken laced a two-out double to center field to score Martin with what proved to be the game-winning run.
Freshman Taylor Stroud (1-1), who has now pitched in three of the team’s four games, notched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to pick up the first win of her collegiate career. Stroud, who entered the game with a runner at first base and no outs in the fourth inning, threw four innings of relief while allowing two hits and three unearned runs. She walked just one and struck out three, including a punch out of Keilani Jennings to end the game. Shelby Voelz threw the first three-plus innings, allowing two runs and six hits.
The Hornets never trailed during the game, scoring three times in the first inning on a Gaucho error that allowed both Nakken and Jessica Abelia to score, followed by Megan Schaefer’s first home run of the season. UC Santa Barbara scored twice in the second inning off Voelz to cut the lead to 3-2. Sacramento State tacked on two more runs in fourth when another UCSB error allowed Nakken and Shannon Kaufman to score. The Hornets pulled off double steals (with Nakken being one of the base runners) in both the first and fourth innings, and parlayed that into two runs in each inning.
The Gauchos tied the score in the top of the sixth with Putich’s three-run triple that came with two outs. Putich had a monster game, driving in all five UCSB runs while going 2-for-3, including a two-out, two-run single in the second inning.
Andriana Collins (4-1) picked up her first loss of the season, throwing the final 5.1 innings in relief. She allowed five hits and three runs (one earned) while walking two and striking out three.
