Pacific Coast Softball Conference

GAME 1: SACRAMENTO STATE 3, PACIFIC (CA) 2

GAME 2: SACRAMENTO STATE 7, PACIFIC (CA) 4

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Jamie Schloredt combined for four hits and two walks, and sophomore Brittani Clifford picked up a win and a save to lead Sacramento State to a doubleheader sweep of Pacific in a non-conference softball doubleheader Friday afternoon at Shea Stadium. The Hornets won the first game, 3-2, before taking the second game, 7-4.

The Hornets have now won six straight and eight of the last nine games. The team’s only blemish during that nine-game streak was a 2-0 loss to 11th-ranked Oklahoma. Sacramento State is 18-11 overall, the team’s best mark after 29 games since the 1997 squad was 19-9-1.

Pacific dropped to 18-18 with the losses.

Sacramento State’s victories snapped a five-game losing streak against Pacific that dated back to 2004. The Hornets, who improved to 30-47-1 all-time against Pacific, had not swept a doubleheader from the Tigers since early in the 1995 season.

“The team is staying loose and having fun, and we play very well when we are in that element,” Sacramento State head coach Kathy Strahan said. “It was a total team effort today as we received plenty of offense and our pitching did a nice job. Everyone is contributing, and we are on a very nice run right now.”

Schloredt, who was retired once during the entire doubleheader, went 4-for-5 with a double, two walks and an RBI. She led a Hornet offense that combined for 10 runs and batted .353 during the doubleheader. Meanwhile, the pitching was impressive as pitchers Kayla Meeks, Megan Schaefer and Clifford combined to allow just four runs over 14.0 innings (2.00 ERA) while striking out 11.

In addition, senior Hilary Johnson improved her hitting streak to a career-high nine games, and the center fielder is batting .556 (15-for-27) over that nine-game stretch.

In the first game, no team led by more than two runs the entire way as Sacramento State put up two runs in the first and one more in the fifth. Hornet pitchers Meeks (6.0 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs – 1 earned) and Clifford (1.0 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs) combined to limit the Tigers to just six hits over seven innings.

Pacific got on the board with a run in the top of the first on an RBI-single from Alyce Jorgensen. The Hornets, however, bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the first after Miles’ double drove home both Schloredt and Whitney Loomis. The Hornets tacked on another run in the fifth after Schloredt’s third hit of the game drove home Amy Tompkins.

The Tigers used a couple Hornet errors to close within one run (3-2) in the sixth inning. Clifford was then inserted into the game to start the seventh and retired the side in order for her fifth save of the season. The five saves are already more than any pitcher in Sacramento State history. In addition, the five saves are more than the team tallied as a whole during any season except for 2000 (5).

Schloredt finished the game 3-for-3 with a run, double and an RBI. She joined Pacific’s Casey Goldsand as the only two players with multiple-hit games. Meeks (8-4) has now won six of her last seven decisions and her eight victories are a team high. Pacific’s Chelsea Engle dropped to 12-7 with the loss, as she allowed three runs (two earned) and seven hits over 6.0 innings.

In the second game, Sacramento State erased a 2-0 deficit with three first-inning runs, and later erased a 4-3 deficit with three more runs in the bottom of the second. After the teams combined for 10 runs over the first two innings (Hornets led 6-4 after two), only one more run was scored over the final five innings.

Clifford played a large role in the victory as she was inserted into the game with no outs and a runner at first base in the second, and proceeded to go the next 6.0 innings while allowing just five hits and two runs. The right-hander picked up her sixth victory of the season while improving to 6-4.

After Pacific jumped on top, 2-0, in the top of the first, Sacramento State responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-single from Miles and a two-run single from Schaefer. The Tigers reclaimed the lead at 4-3 after scoring twice in the top of the second. However, Sacramento State scored three more times in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by an RBI-single from Loomis and a sacrifice fly from Izmena Cabrera.

The Hornets tacked on an insurance run in the sixth after Cabrera singled home Johnson. Alyce Jorgensen (3-6)  allowed six hits and six runs in 1.0 inning of work and took the loss.

Eight Hornet starters had at least one hit in the game, including two hits each from Tompkins, Loomis and Johnson.

Sacramento State returns to action next week with a doubleheader on the road at San Jose State on Tuesday, March 25, at 2 p.m. The Hornets do not return home until April 2 when they host a single game against Stanford at 2 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S 4, No. 17 HAWAI’I 2

Saint Mary’s scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat No. 17 Hawai’i 4-2 Thursday at the Bank of Hawai’i Invitational. It was the Gaels’ second win in as many games against the Rainbow Wahine at the tournament .Sophomore third baseman Katherine Delpit went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Senior second baseman Bronwyn Russell was also 3-for-3 for the Gaels as they out-hit the Rainbow Wahine 9-4. Senior right-hander Megan Galloway (6-6) pitched seven scoreless innings of relief to earn the win, allowing two hits and two walks, while striking out two.

PORTLAND STATE 7, IDAHO STATE 1

PORTLAND – Freshman right-hander Nichole Latham carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and sophomore third baseman De'Chauna Skinner went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBI to lead Portland State to a 7-1 win over Idaho State, Friday afternoon at Erv Lind Stadium. The game was part of the first-annual Spring Fling, hosted by Portland State, Oregon and Oregon State.

The win was the fifth straight for the Vikings (14-16), while the Bengals (1-12) have now lost four straight. Idaho State fell 6-0 to Oregon State earlier Friday at Erv Lind Stadium.

Portland State scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and that was all the offensive support Latham would need. Her no-hit bid was ended when freshman third baseman Vi Buchanan hit a lead-off triple in the seventh. Buchanan would later score on a two-out pinch-hit single by junior Ivy Sessions to also break-up the shutout.

Latham (5-6) allowed three hits and three walks, while striking out five, to earn the win.

Skinner had a two-run single to cap the four-run first inning. She then hit her first career home run with a three-run shot, with one out in the fifth inning, to make it 7-0. The RBI were also the first of Skinner’s career.

Junior center fielder Jackie Heide hit her second home run of the year with a solo home run in the first inning to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead.

Sophomore right-hander Andrea Coburn (0-6) was charged with the loss, and was lifted after facing three batters in the first inning. She allowed two runs on two hits in 1/3 of an inning. Sophomore right-hander Kandis Clesson went the rest of the way, allowing five runs on eight hits and struck out one in 5 2/3 innings of relief.

Senior designated player Mandy Hill, junior second baseman Jamee Rauch and junior first baseman Jana Rae Slayton also had two hits each, as the Vikings recorded 10 hits on the day.

Portland State will travel to Corvallis for two games Saturday as the Spring Fling continues. The Vikings face will Oregon State at 1:15 p.m., and then follow with a rematch against the Bengals.

NOTES: The five-game win streak is the longest of the year for the Vikings and matches their longest win streak from last season ... Slayton has recorded a hit in 11 of the last 12 games, hitting .485 (16x33) during that stretch ... Friday’s game was the first between the Bengals and Vikings since Idaho State reinstated softball last season ... Portland State now leads the all-time series 3-2 ... Portland State will be off Sunday before concluding the Spring Fling with home games Monday against UC Davis and Tuesday versus Oregon State.

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