SACRAMENTO -- Sacramento State's
Caroline Evans crushed a mammoth 3-run homer, and right-hander
Marissa Bertuccio went the distance to lead the Hornets to an 8-2 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday afternoon at Shea Stadium.
The victory allowed the Hornets (17-12, 2-1) to win the Big Sky Conference-opening 3-game series over the Bears (13-16, 1-2). Sacramento State improved to 10-5 at home, which included a doubleheader split with Northern Colorado yesterday.
Sacramento State used solid pitching from Bertuccio and plenty of offense to lead from start to finish in today's game. The Hornets scored runs in four different innings, and banged out eight runs and 12 hits.
The Hornets' top three hitters in the lineup (
Gwen Ludwig,
Leandra Coronado,
Lewa Day) combined to go 7-for-10 with four runs, a stolen base and two RBIs. All three players had multiple-hit games, and Coronado has now hit safely in seven straight games which coincides with her first seven starts of the season at shortstop.
But it was Evans that had the big blow. With the Hornets nursing a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, Evans unloaded on a 3-2 pitch and sent the ball soaring about 50 feet over the right field wall. The 3-run blast put the Hornets up, 6-0, and the game was effectlively out of reach for Northern Colorado.
Bertuccio (10-5, 1.87 ERA) was brilliant yet again, registering her ninth complete game of the season. The right-hander allowed just three hits and two runs (one earned) with one walk and seven strikeouts. She had a no-hitter until Northern Colorado registered its first hit with one out in the sixth inning. Bertuccio faced just four batters over the minimum and threw 103 pitches.
Other offensive highlights for the Hornets came on a two-out RBI-single from
Alexis Parish in the second inning, a sacrifice fly from
Lewa Day in the third, and an RBI-single from Day in the sixth. Parish finished with two RBIs.
Sacramento State is back in action next week when its hosts Nevada on Tuesday at 4 p.m., followed by a three-game road series at Montana on Friday and Saturday.