SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Senior Yolanda Estrada clubbed her first career home run and sophomore Nicole Deatherage allowed just one run and five hits as the Sacramento State softball team defeated Utah State, 4-1, in the championship bracket of the Capital Classic Saturday morning at the Sac Softball Complex.The Hornets advance to face seventh-ranked Cal (26-8) today in the second round of championship bracket play at 1 p.m. on Field 1. The Bears, who are 4-0 in the tournament thus far, had a bye in the first round. Sacramento State is currently 11-16 overall and 3-2 in the Capital Classic.
Sacramento State opened the scoring in the second as senior Meghan Cunningham led off the inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second base by Deatherage. Two ensuing wild pitches by Utah State starter Kristin Hommel allowed Cunningham to score. The Aggies answered with a run in the bottom of the second on an RBI-single by Marnie Andrews.
After Lindsay Janssen came in to relieve Hommel to begin the third, Estrada greeted her with a solo home run to right field to open the inning. The Hornets scored their second run of the inning after Deatherage was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Sacramento State added its last run in the fourth inning on an RBI-single by Jillian Bivert. The senior finished the game 3-for-4 and is now hitting a team-leading .345.
Deatherage (5-2), who allowed no walks and struck out five, helped her own cause by going 2-for-2 at the plate. Janssen (1-10) picked up the loss, allowing three runs and 10 hits in five innings.
