Marissa Navarro went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBIs in today's second game
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego combined for 11 runs over two games, highlighted by a Taylor Hensley grand slam in the sixth inning of the nightcap as the Toreros swept a Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC) doubleheader against Sacramento State on Saturday afternoon at the USD Softball Complex.
San Diego never trailed in a 4-3 victory in the opener. In the second game, the Hornets blew a 5-1 lead when San Diego scored six runs in the sixth inning, punctuated by the Hensley grand slam that gave the Toreros a 7-5 lead and eventual win. The Hornets had been 15-1 when leading after five innings prior to the loss.
With the victories, San Diego improved to 26-17 overall and 13-5 in the PCSC while the Hornets dropped to 25-19 and 8-9 in the league. San Diego finds itself in a battle with Saint Mary’s (13-4 league record) for the PCSC’s Coastal Division crown. The Gaels swept Loyola Marymount in a doubleheader earlier today, and eliminated LMU from title contention.
Sacramento State will play a big role in the outcome of the division race as the Hornets wrap up San Diego’s regular season with another doubleheader tomorrow beginning at noon. If necessary, the Hornets would play Saint Mary’s on Tuesday in a makeup game that was rained out earlier in the year. The only way Tuesday’s game will be played is if both Saint Mary’s and San Diego win the same amount of games tomorrow. Saint Mary’s hosts Loyola Marymount in a doubleheader.
The Hornets continue to struggle against the division’s top teams as Sacramento State is now 1-8 against the top three teams (Saint Mary’s, San Diego and Loyola Marymount) and 7-1 against the bottom teams (CSU Bakersfield and Santa Clara). Sacramento State is also threatening to finish with a PCSC record below the .500 mark for the first time in school history (the conference was formed in 2003).
Sacramento State head coach Kathy Strahan remains at 799 career wins, and is attempting to become the 52nd softball head coach in NCAA history (for all divisions) to achieve the 800-win milestone.
GAME 1
San Diego scored twice in the first and fifth innings, and hung on late to defeat Sacramento State, 4-3, in the opener. After the Toreros opened the game by scoring two first-inning runs, the Hornets bounced back in the third with RBI-fielders choice ground balls from Emily McCormick and Devin Caldwell to tie the score at 2-2.
San Diego took a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning after a Hensley RBI-double and a sacrifice fly from Jessica Tieszen. The Hornets made noise in the seventh as Shannon Kaufman and Alyssa Nakken opened the inning with singles to put runners at the corners with no outs. Kelli Frye drove in Kaufman with a ground-out to shortstop while Nakken advanced to second base. Another ground-ball out by McCormick advanced Nakken to third base with the potential tying run, but San Diego starter Jenny Lahitte struck out Marissa Navarro to end the game.
Lahitte (12-9) went the distance in the win, allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) while walking none and striking out four batters over seven innings. Taylor Stroud got the loss for the Hornets, allowing four hits and four runs in six innings.
Sacramento State, which left seven runners on base, saw Kaufman go 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Frye stole her team-high ninth base in the third inning. McCormick saw her career-high six-game hitting streak come to a close after going 0-for-4.
GAME 2
In one of the more gut-wrenching losses of the season, Sacramento State took what appeared to be a very comfortable lead at 5-1 after Navarro crushed a three-run homer in the fifth inning. However, San Diego sent 11 batters to the plate while scoring six runs on five hits off Hornet pitchers Caitlin Brooks and Stroud in the sixth inning.
Brooks, who started the game for the Hornets, retired two of the first four batters she faced in the sixth inning as San Diego had runners at first and second with two outs and trailing, 5-1. However, the next six Torero batters reached base safely, which included three walks. Brooks was pulled in favor of Stroud after allowing a two-run single to Morgan Kurtz that cut the Hornet lead to 5-3. Stroud walked the first batter she faced which loaded the bases. That’s when Hensley stepped to the plate and deposited an 0-1 pitch over the right field fence to give San Diego an improbable 7-5 lead.
The Hornets got the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning, but San Diego starter Cassidy Coleman was able to finish the inning and pick up the complete-game victory. Stroud (13-9) took the loss, allowing two hits and two runs in one-third of an inning. Brooks allowed five runs and seven hits in 5.2 innings. Coleman (12-5) got the win despite being battered to the tune of 11 hits and five runs (four earned) over seven innings.
Sacramento State received mult-hit efforts from five different players, comprised of Frye (2-for-3 with a run), Nakken (2-for-3 with a run), McCormick (2-for-4 with a run), Navarro (2-for-4 with a run, double, homer and three RBIs) and Jessica Abelia (2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base).
Frye and Nakken both have six-game hitting streaks.
