SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Junior left fielder Karlee Rodgers
(Clovis, Calif., Clovis West HS) hit a clutch double that helped bring home the
tying run and then came around to score the winning run in the sixth inning to
lift the CSU Bakersfield softball team to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over
Sacramento State in the second game of a their doubleheader on Saturday at Shea
Stadium. The Roadrunners lost the Game 1 of the Pacific Coast Softball
Conference showdown 5-4.
Sophomore pitcher Marissa Hiller (Cypress, Calif., Cypress
HS) had perhaps her best performance of the season in the circle for CSUB
(11-35, 4-10 PCSC), giving up only three runs on six hits with one walk and two
strikeouts in a complete-game victory. It was the second complete game of the
season for Hiller (3-10).
"Our pitchers were solid today and we had clutch hitting and good defense," said CSUB head coach Crissy Buck. "We played our type of softball today. We were patient at the plate and made them hit high pitch counts and that's the kind of game we want to play."
Rodgers added insurance for the 'Runners in the top of the
seventh in Game 2, stroking a single to right field that scored sophomore
shortstop Myshayla Fryer (San Diego, Calif., University HS).
In the second inning, sophomore designated player Karissa Veiga (Hemet, Calif., Hemet HS) reached
on a walk and redshirt junior center fielder Laura King singled. After both
advanced a base on a wild pitch, sophomore second baseman Amy Ricciardi (Chino
Hills, Calif., Ayala HS) hit a sacrifice grounder to score Veiga. Senior first
baseman Sara Smith (Northridge, Calif., Biola Univ.) then reached on an error
to score King as the 'Runners took a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Sacramento State (23-17, 6-7
PCSC) scored three runs on four hits including back-to-back doubles, and took a
3-2 lead.
Then Rodgers took
over the game. She hit a long double over the right fielder's head and a
throwing error allowed freshman third baseman Adrianna Cardoza (Santa Anna,
Calif., La Quinta HS) to score the tying run. Freshman catcher Ashley Carter
(Tehachapi, Calif., Tehachapi HS) then reached on a bunt single and Rodgers
moved to third. Freshman right fielder Bree Sandoval (La Verne, Calif., Bonita
HS) then hit a sac fly to right to score Rodgers as the 'Runners went up 4-3.
The Hornets threatened in the bottom of the seventh and got
two runners aboard, but Hiller finished it off.
She was backed by a solid defensive effort that included diving grabs by
Ricciardi and Cardoza.
In Game 1, Sacramento State jumped out to a 2-0 lead but
CSUB tied it up in the third inning when King and Veiga singled and then Ricciardi
hit a two-run single to right field to bring them both home. The Hornets
reclaimed a 4-2 lead before the 'Runners rallied back again in the sixth inning
when sophomore pitcher Taylor DeSilva (Sunnyvale, Calif., Univ. of the Pacific)
reached on an error and then scored on a Sandoval triple to right-center field and then
came around to score on a wild pitch and the 'Runners tied it up again, this
time at 4-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Hornets scored the go-ahead run
and the 'Runners weren't able to come back again.
The 'Runners and Hornets will be back in action on Sunday
for another doubleheader starting at noon.
~www.GoRunners.com~
