May 2, 2001
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Junior Sarah Beeson went 5-for-8 with four doubles as the No. 3 Stanford softball team swept Sacramento State in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Shea Stadium. The Cardinal took the first game 11-0 in five innings, and the second by a score of 3-2 in eight innings. Stanford improves to 46-9-1 on the year while Sac State falls to 17-34.
In Game 1, the Cardinal jumped out to a comfortable 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Robin Walker drew a base on balls to lead off the game and Jessica Mendoza was hit by a pitch. Sarah Beeson hit an RBI-double off the right field wall and Jessica Allister's single up the middle scored Mendoza and Beeson for a 3-0 lead.
Stanford exploded for seven runs in the third inning, while sending 11 batters to the plate. Beeson led off with a double to right center, then Kira Ching and Allister both singled. Michelle Thiry doubled through the right side and Jenni Shideler was hit by a pitch. Walker then roped a double down the left field line, scoring two. Mendoza walked and Beeson then hit her second double of the inning, this time down the third base line. Walker and Mendoza both scored on the hit, giving Stanford a 10-0 lead after 2 _ innings of play.
The Cardinal rallied for a single run in the top of the fifth. Mendoza was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and Beeson had a base hit. Allister drove in Mendoza for the 11-0 lead.
In the circle, Maureen LeCocq pitched four innings of two-hit ball to earn the win. She picked up her sixth shutout of the year while striking out two. Jaime Forman-Lau started the fifth and struck out one. LeCocq improves to 15-7 with the win.
For the Hornets, Gina Steenburgen went the distance, giving up 11 earned runs. She falls to 4-7 with the loss.
Stanford had 11 hits in the first game. Beeson went 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBI while Allister was 3-for-3 with four RBI. With her three RBI, Beeson broke the single-season record for RBI. She now has 60 on the year, which breaks Mendoza's record of 57 from 1999.
In Game 2, Stanford didn't get on the board until the fourth inning. Ching's liner to centerfield was dropped, allowing her to reach second. Thiry then drove her in with a double off the left centerfield wall. Shideler then came up with a clutch, two-out single, scoring Thiry for a 2-0 lead.
The Hornets answered in the bottom of the fourth with a single run. A walk, a fielding error, a grounder and a single led to Sac State's first run of the day. They tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Veronica Rodrigues drew a leadoff walk, chasing starting pitcher Tori Nyberg. The next Hornet batter reached on a throwing error, and Rodrigues was able to advance to third. With Jaime Forman-Lau pitching in relief for Stanford, Sac State scored the tying run on a wild pitch. Forman-Lau struck out the side
In the top of the seventh, Sac State's Nicole Deatherage retired the Cardinal in order. Forman-Lau came back and struck out two of three in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.
In the eighth, Mendoza led off with a double to left center. Then Beeson followed with another double, her fourth of the day, to score Mendoza for the 3-2 lead. Deatherage struck out two and forced a ground out, stranding Beeson on third.
Nyberg pitched the first five innings, allowing three hits and two runs. Forman-Lau went three innings to earn the win. She didn't allow a hit and struck out seven as she improves to 4-0.
Deatherage pitched all eight innings for Sac State, allowing six hits and three earned runs. She falls to 7-15.
The Cardinal returns to Pacific-10 Conference play this weekend as the Arizona schools come to The Farm for the grand opening of Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. On Friday, Stanford hosts No. 11 Arizona State for a single game at 2:00 p.m. Then on Saturday and Sunday, top-ranked Arizona will be in town for a pair of games.
GAME 1 - Stanford 11, Sacramento State 0 (5) Score by Innings1 2 3 4 5 R H E #3 Stanford3 0 7 0 1 11 11 2 Sacramento State0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 WP - Maureen LeCocq (15-7) to Jessica Allister. LP - Gina Steenburgen (4-7) to Meghan Cunningham. Save - None. 2B - Sarah Beeson (STAN) 3, Michelle Thiry (STAN) 2, Robin Walker (STAN), Jillian Bivert (CSUS). 3B - None. HR - None. E - Jessica Allister (STAN) 2. LOB - Stanford 8, Sacramento State 6. Records: Stanford 45-9-1, Sacramento State 17-33.
GAME 2- Stanford 3, Sacramento State 2 (8) Score by Innings1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E #3 Stanford0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 3 6 3 Sacramento State0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 2 WP - Jaime Forman-Lau (4-0) to Jessica Allister. LP - Nicole Deatherage (7-15) to Meghan Cunningham. Save - None. 2B - Michelle Thiry (STAN), Jessica Mendoza (STAN), Sarah Beeson (STAN). 3B - None. HR - None. E - Meghan Cunningham (CSUS), Cathy Coupar (CSUS), Jenni Shideler (STAN), Sarah Beeson (STAN), Jessica Allister (STAN). LOB - Stanford 6, Sacramento State 7. Records: Stanford 46-9-1, Sacramento State 17-34.