Pacific Coast Softball Conference

BOSTON COLLEGE 2, SACRAMENTO STATE 1
HAYWARD, Calif. -- Renee Ramos hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Allison Gage allowed just six hits and one unearned run over seven innings to lead Boston College to a 2-1 victory over Sacramento State in the fifth and final round of the Bronco Softball Stampede Sunday morning at the Oliver Sports Complex.

With the loss, the Hornets still completed the tournament with a 4-1 record. Prior to today, Sacramento State had outscored its four opponents (Youngstown State, Boston College, Providence and North Dakota State) by a combined 35-4 margin. That included a 14-3 win over Boston College on Friday. The loss also snapped a season-high five game winning streak and the Hornets dropped to 9-6 overall this season.

With the victory, Boston College improved to 8-7 on the young season.

The Hornets started freshman Jacquelyn Serrano (1-1) for the first time all season, and after a two-out walk to Amy Tunstall in the first inning, Ramos greeted the right-hander with a two-run blast to left field. Serrano was eventually replaced with one out in the second inning in favor of Hornet freshman Megan Schaefer, who was able to work out a second-inning jam. In fact, Schaefer, who was making her fifth appearance of the season, was dominant in relief, allowing just two hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 5.2 innings. She did not allow a hit after the fourth inning, and retired nine batters in a row at one point.

Sacramento State was limited to just one run, tying its lowest output of the season for an offense that is second in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference with a .302 batting average. The Hornets’ only run off Gage came in the seventh when Amy Tompkins doubled home Hilary Johnson, who reached on an error earlier in the inning.

Sacramento State had its best chance to score in the second when Sherry Clark led off the inning with a double. She was eventually sacrificed to third base, but was thrown out at home trying to score on a ground ball off the bat of Teri Ann Caoagan. On the play, Clark was caught in a rundown between third base and home, and injured her knee trying to elude the tag. She had to come out of the game, and could be out of action for the near future with the injury. The severity of the injury could loom large to the Hornets’ success as Clark has been one of the team’s best players all year with a .400 batting average, including eight extra base hits, nine RBIs and a .451 on-base percentage.

After Tompkins doubled home Johnson in the seventh with two outs, Gage got Whitney Loomis to line out and end the game. Gage is the same pitcher that the Hornets torched for nine hits and six runs over 2.2 innings on Friday. Today, it was a different story as every hard hit ball found a Boston College glove. Gage improved to 3-5 with the victory and the only run she allowed was unearned.

Junior Izmena Cabrera was the only Hornet with a multiple-hit game as the left fielder finished 2-for-3.

Sacramento State returns to action next week when the team competes in the two-day, four-game Bulldog Classic on March 7-8. The Hornets play Rhode Island and tournament host Fresno State on Friday, and return Saturday to take on DePaul and Houston.

GEORGETOWN 1, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 0
EL PASO, Texas - LMU put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the seventh inning but could not bring them home, falling 1-0 to Georgetown University in Sunday’s finale of the UTEP Tournament in El Paso, TX. The Lions drop their second game of the weekend by a 1-0 score to return home with an 11-7 record.

The Lions loaded the bases in the second and put runners in scoring position in the third, sixth, and seventh innings but to no avail as Hoya pitcher Jennifer Connell worked her way out of each jam. In the seventh, they had runners on second and third with one out but Connell got junior Kirsten Slouber to strike out and freshman Amy Charpentier to fly out to end the game.

Senior Tiffany Pagano (6-3) was the hard-luck loser, striking out 12 while allowing three hits and two walks. It was her fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season. Sophomore Christine Foley had two of LMU’s seven hits.

Georgetown would get its lone run in the first inning. Kristi Preuss led off with a single and was sacrificed to second, although she would later get picked off. With two outs, Samantha Peters walked and stole second, coming home when LMU junior catcher Chelsie Tysdal threw wild to first on Suria Bahadue’s slow roller in front of the plate.

After playing 16 of their first 18 games on the road, the Lions return to Smith Field for the next 21. The home stand starts Tuesday with a noon doubleheader against Loyola of Chicago.

SAINT MARY’S 3, CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 2 (GAME 1)

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 8, SAINT MARY’S 0 (GAME 2)
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The Saint Mary’s softball team used a late spark in the first match-up against CS Northrdridge, as they defeated the Matadors 3-2. In the second game of the double-header the Gaels were unable to hold off the heavy bats of their opponent, as the run rule was enforced at the top of the fifth inning, as the Matadors clinched an 8-0 victory. The split marks the Gaels at 4-7 on the year, while CS Northridge now holds a 7-12 record.

It was not a promising sight for Saint Mary’s in the first five innings of the day, as the Matadors posted to runs in the bottom of the first, and held a 2-0 advantage throughout the majority of the first game. Luckily for the Gaels Jenna Smith stepped up in the top of the sixth, slamming her fourth homerun of her career and the season, recording two runs for Saint Mary’s. The sophomore brought senior Sandra Ruezga home, as the Gaels recorded their first two runs of the ball game.

With the game tied at two apiece going into the seventh, junior Lauren Clark hit a double to left center, which scored Megan Galloway and gave the Gaels a 3-2 lead. Galloway would go on to hold the Matadors off in the top of the seventh, as the right hander recorded her third win of the season.

In the second game of the day the Gaels were unable to control the Matador’s bats, as CS Northridge posted five runs in the first inning alone. Molly Bergeson started in the circle for Saint Mary’s, but was replaced by freshman Maryanne Cronin, two batters into the second inning. With Saint Mary’s down 7-0, Cronin did her best to hold off the Matadors, giving up only one run in three innings pitched.

Offensively the Gaels struggled at the plate in the second game, recording only one hit in four innings of action.

Saint Mary’s will face Holy Cross in their next outing of the 2008 season, with the double header scheduled for Tuesday, March 4 at 1:00 pm.

NEVADA 9, PORTLAND STATE 7

Nevada sent 13 batters to the plate in scoring nine runs on six hits and four walks in the top of the first inning. Junior center fielder Sarah Hunt had a two-run double to make it 6-0 and freshman catcher Noelle Micka capped the inning with a three-run home run.

The Vikings took advantage of four Wolfpack errors to score four runs on two hits in the bottom of the second to make it 9-4.

Portland State scored a run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to make it 9-7. Junior first baseman Jana Rae Slayton capped the scoring with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the seventh, her first of the season.

Sophomore right-hander Katie Holverson (5-3) overcame the five Wolfpack errors to earn the win. Holverson allowed five unearned runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out three.

Senior right-hander Jordan McPherson, the third Nevada pitcher, came on in relief after Slayton’s home run in the seventh. She struck out three straight to end the game and record her first save of the year.

Freshman right-hander Nichole Latham (2-4) was charged with the loss, allowing nine runs on five hits and four walks, and was lifted after 2/3 of an inning.

Senior right-hander Mandy Hill came on in relief and tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing four hits and striking out five.

Micka was 2-for-4 with three RBI for the Wolfpack. Her home run was the second of the season. Sophomore third baseman Sam Bias also went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Junior second baseman Jamee Rauch went 2-for-4 with an RBI and freshman shortstop Arielle Wiser was 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead Portland State at the plate.

NOTES: Nevada defeated Portland State 7-3 on Saturday at the Husky Softball Classic … Wiser extended her hit streak to a season-best seven games, the longest by a Viking player this season … Rauch recorded her third straight two-hit game.

GAME 2: NO. 25 WASHINGTON 10, PORTLAND STATE 2

Junior catcher Alicia Blake hit two home runs and had four RBI to lead No. 25 Washington to a 10-2 win in five innings over Portland State, in the completion of a suspended game from Friday. The game was suspended with Washington leading 4-0 with one out in the bottom of the second, after freshman third baseman Jace Williams hit a two-run single.

Blake finished with 2-for-3 with four RBI. She hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give Washington a 2-0 lead. Blake added a two-run home run in the second, in the first at bat when play resumed Sunday, to make it 7-0 and cap the five-run inning.

Senior right-hander Caitlin Noble (7-3) went the distance to earn the win, allowing two unearned run on three hits and four walks. Noble also struck out eight.

Freshman right-hander Nichole Latham (2-5), who started the game on Friday, was charged with the loss. She was charged with six runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out two.

Washington out-hit Portland State 11-3.

NOTES: Freshman shortstop Arielle Wiser finished 1-for-3, with a double in the first inning on Friday, to extend her hitting streak to eight games … The loss was the Vikings’ fourth straight, marking their longest losing streak of the season … Portland State recorded its seventh errorless game of the season … The Vikings 0-7 when not committing an error.

GAME 3: PORTLAND STATE 4, NO. 25 WASHINGTON 2

Portland State scored two runs in the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie as the Vikings defeated the Huskies 4-2 Sunday afternoon in the final game of the Husky Softball Classic. 

Sophomore catcher Brandi Scoggins hit a single through the right side of the infield to score Rauch and put the Vikings up 3-2. Slayton then followed with a single to score junior center fielder Jackie Heide, who reached on a walk to extend the lead to 4-2.

Senior right-hander Hill (5-7) then retired the Huskies in order in the bottom of the eighth to secure the win. Hill allowed two runs on nine hits and one walk, while striking out four to earn the win.

Freshman right-hander Aleah Macon (3-3) allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits and four walks in suffering the loss. Macon also struck out 10.

The Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when sophomore first baseman Jana Rae Slayton drew a bases loaded walk to force home junior center fielder Jackie Heide, who reached on a one-out single.

Junior right fielder Dani Stuart tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-out solo home run. The home run was Stuart’s first of the season.

Portland State took advantage of two Washington errors to plate the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. Junior second baseman Jamee Rauch reached on a throwing error by shortstop Morgan Stuart with one out. Rauch then stole second and advanced to third on the play off a throwing error by sophomore catcher Amanda Fleischman. Rauch scored a batter later on a RBI grounder by Heide.

Washington tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back two-out hits. Junior designated player Ashlyn Watson reached on a two-out single and scored when Morgan Stuart followed with a double..

NOTES: The win was the first-ever for Portland State in 33 meetings against Washington … Wiser went 0-for-2 to snap a personal-best eight-game hit streak.

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