SACRAMENTO, CALIF. -- Sacramento State combined for just one run and seven hits in two games as the Hornets lost to Utah (5-0) and Illinois (5-1) in the second day of the Capital Classic Softball Tournament Saturday afternoon at the Sacramento Softball Complex.With the losses, the Hornets dropped to 17-12 overall this season and 1-3 in the tournament. After defeating Morehead State on Thursday, Sacramento State has since lost games to third-ranked Washington, Utah and Illinois in succession. The team closes the tournament tomorrow (Sunday, March 23) against Long Island (9 a.m.) and Utah State (11 a.m.).
Against Illinois, Jenna Hall and Erin Montgomery each homered for the Fighting Illini (17-5) as the team scored two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Sacramento State opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI-single from sophomore Amy Hillel before Illinois responded with five unanswered runs.
Illinois took the lead in the fifth with solo home runs from Hall and Montgomery. In the sixth, the Fighting Illini added a run on an RBI-single from Hall, and two more runs in the seventh on a two-run single from Erin Jones.
Brianne Ferguson (6-6) took the loss for Sacramento State, allowing five runs and six hits in seven innings of work. Amanda Fortune (10-3) got the win, allowing just three Hornet singles and no walks.
In the Hornets’ early game, Utah’s Jen Pursell (6-8) limited Sacramento State to just four hits while the Utes’ offense pounded out five runs and seven hits. The big blow of the contest came in the third inning on Melissa Stahnke’s three-run homer.
Pursell faced just five batters over the minimum as she allowed singles to Jillian Bivert, Amber Dragomir and Amanda Moreland (two). The Hornets had their best chance to score in the second inning when they put runners at second and third, but Pursell got Whitnie Darvell to strike out swinging to end the inning.
Utah (9-17) got on the board in the second inning on a two-out, RBI-single by Ivette Hernandez. The Utes added three more in the third on Stahnke’s home run and scored once more in the seventh for insurance.
Junior Nicole Deatherage (8-5) got the loss, allowing five runs and seven hits in seven innings. Stahnke and Bryanne Durrence each had two hits for Utah.
The tournament concludes tomorrow with four games at 9 a.m. and two games at 11 a.m.
