SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Sacramento State's offense combined to hit .355 (22-for-62) with six extra base hits, 13 runs and 12 RBIs on the way to victories over both UC Santa Barbara and Santa Clara on the first day of the Silicon Valley Classic.
Both games were played on Santa Clara's home field, and the Hornets beat the Gauchos, 7-6, before knocking off the Broncos, 6-4. In each contest, the Hornets had to overcame early first deficits. Sacramento State will play five games during the three-day tournament, and will play twice more tomorrow at San Jose State's home field.
The Hornets have won three of their last four games while improving to 5-6 overall and 2-0 at the tournament. The Gauchos dropped to 5-3 and the Santa Clara 3-8.
Lewa Day had a huge afternoon, combining to go 5-for-8 with four runs, two doubles, a homer and five RBIs. That included a three-run blast in the first game to give Sacramento State a 4-2 lead in the second inning. She also had a two-run double in the nightcap to give Sacramento State a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Not only did Day collect game-winning RBIs in both contests, but she also notched her 100th career RBI. She becomes just the fifth player in program history to reach the milestone.
Gwen Ludwig combined to go 4-for-7 with four runs, and both
Alexis Parish (3-for-6 with a run and two RBIs) and
Caroline Evans (3-for-7 with two doubles and an RBI) had three hits. Seven different Sacramento State players finished the day with multiple hits, including
Nikki Barboza (2),
Carley Morfey (2) and
Katie Marsh (2). Morfey had a homer (her team-high 3rd of the season) to lead off the fourth against Santa Clara, and inch the Hornets within, 3-2, of the Broncos' lead.
The Hornets scored in eight of the 14 inning they batted. Sacramento State also committed just one error all afternoon, and received complete game efforts in the circle from
Marissa Bertuccio (vs. UC Santa Barbara) and
Savannah Wahl (vs. Santa Clara). The Broncos scored three times on four hits in the first inning against Wahl, but she limited Santa Clara to just one run and four hits during the final six innings. Wahl improved to 2-1 while Bertuccio is now 2-3.
Ludwig scored a pair of runs in both games as the second baseman was a big part of the Hornets' offensive attack. Ludwig and Day hit 2-3 in the Hornets' lineup in both games, and the duo combined to go 9-for-15 with eight runs scored.
Sacramento State returns to action tomorrow to take on Saint Mary's (11 a.m.) and San Jose State (4 p.m.). Both games will take place at San Jose State's field. The Hornets conclude the tournament on Sunday at Santa Clara at 11:30 a.m.
