SOFTBALL DROPS ANOTHER ONE-RUN GAME, THIS TIME TO PORTLAND STATE

2/25/2012

Sophomore Yesenia Alcala drove in the tying run with two outs in the seventh, but the Hornets fell in extra innings

MORAGA, Calif. -- Portland State’s Crysta Conn’s RBI-single in the eighth inning led the Vikings to a 2-1 victory over Sacramento State in the third round of the PCSC Softball Crossover Tournament Saturday afternoon at Cottrell Field.

The Hornets are now 1-2 at the three-day, four-game tournament which includes a 9-2 win over Northern Colorado and a 5-4 loss to Seattle yesterday. Sacramento State concludes the tournament tomorrow with another game against Portland State (6-6) at 2:30 p.m.

Sacramento State is now 5-4 this season, and has lost three of its last four games. However, all three of those losses have come by just one run, and the Hornets made seventh inning comebacks in each of those defeats. That includes scoring three times in the seventh inning and stranding the bases loaded in 5-4 losses to San Jose State and Seattle.

Today, the Hornets were down 1-0 heading into the seventh inning before pinch hitter Yesenia Alcala’s infield single drove home pinch runner Alexa Chattleton from third base with two outs. Sacramento State had the winning run at third base (Paige Martin), but Devin Caldwell flew out to left field to end the inning.

The international tiebreaker rule went into effect to begin Portland State’s top of the eight inning. Brittany Hendrickson was placed on second base to begin the inning and was bunted over to third base. Conn followed with what proved to be the game-winning single.

Sacramento State threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning, getting runners to second and third base with no outs. However, Portland State’s Anna Bertrand struck out Emily McCormick, got Marissa Navarro to foul out to third base, and Kelli Frye lined out to left to end the game. In each of the team’s three one-run losses, the Hornets had the tying run at third and the winning run at second base, and line-drive outs ended each of those contests.

For Sacramento State, Molly Smith (2-for-3) and Martin (2-for-3) both had multi-hit games. Right-hander Shelby Voelz (0-1) got the loss, allowing one unearned run and two hits in three sharp innings of relief. Freshman Caitlin Brooks was impressive in her fifth start of the season, allowing five hits and one run in five innings. Caldwell went 0-for-4 at the plate and saw her five-game hitting streak come to a close.

Bertrand (5-2) got the win for Portland State, allowing six hits and one run while walking none and striking out seven over eight innings.