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SACRAMENTO -- Freshman Marissa Bertuccio tossed a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts to highlight Sacramento State's first day of the Capital Classic on Friday at Shea Stadium. Bertuccio led the Hornets to an 8-0 win over Utah State in the first game of the day, and the Hornets fell to Texas State, 2-0, in the nightcap.

The Utah State game was stopped after six innings because of the eight-run mercy rule. Bertuccio was nearly untouchable against the Aggies, throwing all six innings while allowing just three hits (all singles) with no walks and a season-high 12 strikeouts. The true freshman struck out the side in the both the second and fourth innings, and at one point, struck out five straight batters between the first and second innings.

She faced just three batters over the minimum, threw 78 pitches (59 strikes) and did not allow a runner past first base the entire way. Bertuccio improved to 3-0 with the victory while lowering her season ERA to 1.78.

With the split, Sacramento State is now 11-7 overall and 1-1 at the three-day tournament. In the first Capital Classic game of the day, Saint Mary's beat Utah State, 10-2, in six innings. Tomorrow features three more games, including the Hornets playing Saint Mary's at 2 p.m. For tournament information, including the schedule, please click here.

The loss dropped Utah State to 7-9 while Texas State improved its record to 10-5.

The win over Utah State featured solid pitching, defense and offense. The Hornets pounded out 11 hits, and both Mo Spieth and Lewa Day homered. Alondra Mejia finished with three hits while both Day and Shea Graves had two hits. The home runs came in a three-run fifth inning that included a solo bomb from Spieth over the tall center field wall, and Day's two-run shot that easily cleared the left field wall. The home runs were the third of the season for both players.

Katie Vretzos scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, an RBI-single from Aliyah Robles accounted for another run in the second, and the Hornets scored twice more in the third on a bases loaded walk to Amber Rodriguez and an RBI-ground ball from Robles scoring pinch runner Kailie Hargis.

After the three-run fifth inning, a two-out walkoff RBI-single from Mejia scored Graves and gave the Hornets a mercy rule victory.

Against Texas State, Bobcat pitcher Tori McCann was dominant, allowing just five hits while striking out three over seven innings. McCann lowered her season ERA to 1.09 while stranding eight runners on base. The Hornets had just five hits but left runners on base in every inning but the fifth.

The game was scoreless through five innings before a two-run single from Tara Oltmann in the sixth proved to be the game's only runs.

Danielle Sperry (2-2) took the loss despite allowing just four hits and two runs over five-plus innings. Alyssa Nunez tossed two innings of shutout relief. Day had a pair of hits, including a double, and Graves, Mejia and Charizma Guzman accounted for the other Hornet hits. The Day double was the only extra base hit of the game by either team.