Pouring rain
Thursday’s non-conference softball double-header against WesternOregon last week was cancelled due to poor weather and fieldconditions. No makeup game has been scheduled at this time. Theoriginal games, which were also rained out, against WOU were to beplayed at WOU’s softball field March 30.
In last Saturday’s game (first-place in the Pacific CoastSoftball Conference), the Sacramento State Hornets weren’t so hotin the their first of a four-game series against second-placePortland State.
Portland State won 3-2 in nine innings, but didn’t have suchluck in what followed, splitting Saturday’s conference play withthe Hornets. Sacramento State didn’t appreciate being knocked outat home and came back with a 5-0 victory in the nightcap againstPortland State. Both games were played at the Shea Stadium.
In the start of the first game, Vikings junior Kira Enlowknocked in junior Whitney Olsen with a two-out single, the eventualgame-winning run, in the top of the ninth inning. Sacramento hadfive hits in the contest as right-handler Michelle Hest (9-11)allowed just two runs – one earned, and walked not a single player,striking out five over nine complete.
Hornet senior and starter, Nicole Deatherage (13-8) didn’t haveher best game, talking the loss for the hornets. Over 8.5 inningsshe allowing the Vikings nine hits and three runs – two earned.
Whitney Olsen, Maggie DeWall, and Erin Stokey each had hits forPortland State while Stokey had an RBI-double in the second inning.Nicole Deatherage (13-8), was the only Hornet to have more than asingle hit in the game, as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI single inthe first inning.
In the Second game of the day, the Hornets came back with a blowagainst Portland State. Starting pitcher, Brianne Ferguson’sfive-hitter in the second game gave her a career-high 15 wins. Sheis now a team-best 15-9 with a 1.16 ERA. Additionally, Ferguson hasnow only allowed five earned runs in her last 84.1 innings (a 0.41ERA over that span). Sliding past a bit of a jam, with the bassesloaded and only one out in the second inning, Ferguson allowed justone hit during the final five innings while striking out eightbatters in a row at one point.
After a perfect beginning for junior right-hander Vanessa Holm,Sacramento State scored three runs in the fifth and added two morein the sixth. After an RBI-double from freshman Amy Jo McKenzie,and RBI-singles from sophomore Joanna O’Neill and Lindy Winkler,the next five Hornets reached base in the fifth inning. The Hornetsadded two more runs in the sixth on a two-run single from Rojo.
Holm (2-7) took the loss for Portland State, allowing five hitsand three runs in 4.1 innings. Rojo and junior Lesley Mayhorn eachhad two hits in the game and were just two of six different Hornetswho all had at least one hit.
