Sac State?s softball team was a just a victim of nature during their non-conference doubleheader against the third-ranked Stanford Cardinal Wednesday at Shea Stadium at Sac State. Cardinals just fly higher than Hornets, and, at Shea Stadium, they did so twice.

Amidst blustery conditions and the occasional sandblast, the Stanford Cardinal proved just why they are a national powerhouse, sweeping the Hornets 11-0 and 3-2.

“The wind made it interesting ? trying to keep the ball the dirt on the field. All the dirt was in our dugout,” said Hornet head coach Kathy Strahan. “But, Stanford was a great opportunity for us. We had nothing to lose.”

And, the Cardinal let them know it immediately, drubbing the Hornets 11-0 in the opener. The game was called after five innings.

“They just hit the ball all over the park,” said the Hornets wind-blown and dusty coach. “We had to grin and bear it.”

Sarah Beeson, who became the Cardinal?s all-time leader in RBI?s Wednesday, jump started the Cardinal attack belting a run-scoring double by Sac State?s Amber Dragomir. Jessica Allister than followed suit, slapping a two-run single with the bases loaded. Both Beeson and Jessica Mendoza, who was hit by a pitch, raced home safely.

And, just like that the Hornets trailed. The Cardinal plated three runs on just two hits, before Gina Steenburgen could even record the games first out.

“Gina couldn?t adjust to his (umpire?s) strike zone,” Strahan said. “She?s pitching with a stress fracture. It just depends on how she feels. Sometimes she?s on and sometimes she?s off.”

There would be little sympathy from Stanford, who continued to shell Steenburgen. The Cardinal complemented their first inning production, with a seven-run third.

Michelle Thiry and Allister, who went three for three, jacked back-to-back run-scoring singles and Robin Walker and Beeson each tallied base-clearing two-run doubles to lead the charge in the third.

Jillian Bivert, Mary Villalpando and Andrea Becker accounted for all the Hornets base hits. Bivert?s stand-up double in the first inning was the closest Sac State would come to scoring on the Cardinal?s Maureen LeCocq.

LeCocq pitched four innings of scoreless softball, before Jamie Forman-Lau came in and solidified the save. Steenburgen, on the other hand, gave up 11 runs on 11 hits through five innings.

Runs and base hits would be harder to come by in the second game, when the Cardinal hitmen ran into the Hornets fab freshman Nicole Deatherage. Deatherage pitched eight strong innings of work, before folding to the Cardinal, 3-2.

“Nicole was really composed on the mound,” Strahan said of her freshman starter. “She?s right where I want her to be. Her last couple of outings have been superb.”

Her latest outing was impressive, considering the very same Stanford line-up shellacked a more seasoned pitcher in Steenburgen just a game earlier. Still, all 11 of those runs aside, Deatherage wasn?t about to be intimidated by the Cardinal.

“I knew we were the underdogs,” said the Cameron Park, Calif. native. “I thought their hitters were aggressive, but I don?t get nervous for those games.”

And, for three innings, nerves were the least of her concerns. Deatherage, facing one of the nation?s top offenses, handcuffed and stymied would-be Cardinal batters.

But, you can only keep a good team down for so long and Strahan knew it.

“We?ve been snake-bitten this year,” Strahan said. “It?s bitten us all year long.”

And, just like that the Cardinal struck.

After Kira Ching reached second on an error, Thiry roped a run-scoring double to left-center. Jenny Shideler would put the Cardinal up 2-0 just two batters later, when her single up the gut sent Thiry racing home.

Sac State would answer back in their half of the fourth on a Lori Meixner RBI single. Yolanda Estrada, who reached base on an error by Shideler, scored the Hornets first run.

“She (Meixner) has been stepping it up for us at the end of the year,” said Strahan of her junior infielder. “Losing Patty Villa really left a big hole in our line-up.”

The Hornets would tie the ball game at 2-2 in the sixth inning when a Forman-Lau offering sailed wide of her target, allowing Veronica Rodrigues to sprint home with the tying run.

With the score tied, Strahan noticed an energy she had yet to see from her squad.

“I?m proud of the team, especially after getting hammered in the first game,” Strahan said. “We had good energy in the second game. I told them to just have fun and take a crack at them. And, we did that.”

However, the energy and excitement wouldn?t last long. Back-to-back doubles by Mendoza and Beeson in eighth inning would give Forman-Lau all the run support she would need to close out the doubleheader.

Sac State travels to Long Beach State for three games this weekend.