STROUD’S THREE-HIT SHUTOUT HIGHLIGHTS SOFTBALL’S DOUBLEHEADER SPLIT WITH PACIFIC

3/9/2011

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State freshman right-hander Taylor Stroud tossed a three-hit shutout to lead Sacramento State to a 2-0 victory over Pacific in the first game of a non-conference softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Shea Stadium. The Tigers’ Tori Shepard threw a six-hit shutout to lead Pacific to a 3-0 win in the nightcap.

With the split, Sacramento State moved its record to 3-8 while Pacific is now 10-6. The victory in the first game gave the Hornets a seven-game winning streak over the Tigers which dated back to 2008 before Pacific’s second-game win snapped that run.

In the opener, Stroud, who effectively changed speeds all afternoon, allowed just three hits while walking none and striking out six. She retired the first 13 batters of the game in succession before a Nikki Armagost double kicked up chalk down the right field line and ended the no-hit bid in the fifth inning. Stroud wound end up facing just three batters over the minimum after allowing a pair of singles in the seventh inning. Pacific advanced just one runner past second base the entire game, and the true freshman finished with 92 pitches (64 strikes). The Tigers entered the game batting .295 as a team while averaging more than five runs per game.

Stroud improved her record to 2-2 and lowered her season ERA to a miniscule 0.73. She has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any of her six appearances this season, and opponents are now batting just .176 when the Santa Rosa native is in the circle.

Sacramento State scored single runs in the third and fifth innings off Armagost, who went the distance in the loss. Sophomore Emily McCormick drove in both Hornet runs, including a third-inning RBI-double which drove home junior Alyssa Nakken. In the fifth, McCormick laid down a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt which scored Nakken from third base.

Nakken finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs and freshman Devin Caldwell went 2-for-3 to round out the Hornets with multiple hits. Nakken scored both runs of the game and improved her team-best on-base percentage to .488. McCormick had a career-high tying six-game hitting streak until going 0-for-3 in the second game.

Armagost (4-4) got the loss, allowing six hits and two runs over six innings. Offensively, Armagost had two of the Tigers’ three hits, including an infield single in the seventh.

In the second game, Shepard’s six-hit shutout came with no walks and five strikeouts. All six of the Hornets’ hits were singles, and Shepard effectively worked her way out of trouble late, stranding a combined seven Sacramento State runners on base during the final four innings.

Pacific took advantage of some shaky Hornet defense in the third inning to score the game’s first runs. A Sacramento State mental error, followed by a physical error on back-to-back plays set up Pacific’s inning when Hornet starter Megan Schaefer should have been out of the inning unscathed. Instead, the Tigers got a sacrifice fly from Megan Foglesong and an RBI-singe from Armagost. Pacific tacked on an insurance run in the fifth inning after Amy Moore’s sacrifice fly scored Megan Hom.

Sacramento State had plenty of opportunities to score, advancing runners to third base in each of the final four innings but could not break through. That included not scoring after runners were at second and third base base with no outs in the fourth inning. In fact, the Hornets finished the game 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Sophomore Molly Smith and freshman Shannon Kaufman each had two hits for Sacramento State. Freshman Devin Caldwell went 1-for-3, extending her hitting streak to four games.

Schaefer (1-3) took the loss, allowing two hits and two unearned runs over 2.2 innings. Junior Shelby Voelz worked the final 4.1 innings of relief, allowing six hits and one run. Shepard improved to 3-2 with the win.

Sacramento State returns to action later this week when it competes at the Long Beach Marriott Invitational. The team will play five games over three days, beginning on Friday against both BYU (10:30 a.m.) and ninth-ranked UCLA (1 p.m.). The Hornets play Utah State and host Long Beach State on Saturday, and one more game against Utah State on Sunday to wrap up tournament play.