The Sacramento State softball team kicked off the 17th-annual Capital Classic softball tournament with a bang Thursday afternoon at Shea Stadium in Sacramento.

Coach Kathy Strahan’s squad was up for a tall-task with a doubleheader to begin the event. Sac State faced Colorado State first.

The Hornets were not able to close out the win in regulation, pushing the game into extra innings.

In a sudden death situation, the NCAA regulates international softball rules. That is, the team up to bat begins the inning with the final out of the previous inning already on second base.

Sacramento State’s defense held strong with a 1-2-3 inning. Right fielder Jenice Bartee began the 10th inning on second base for Sac State.

With one out in the inning Rams pitcher Dani Chaplin unraveled.

She first hit Hornet second baseman Whitney Loomis and gave up a single down the left field line by third baseman Rachel Miles, when shortstop Desiree Beltran stepped to the plate.

On the first pitch she saw the freshman roped one up the middle past the diving infielder, scoring Bartee for the 8-7 victory in eight innings.

“My approach was to be myself, just think of it as any other situation. Relax out there and focus,” Beltran said.

Sacramento State was down early 4-1 before they clawed their way back to victory in the extra inning.

“We got a little flat but we kept battling. We got a little flat, came back,” Beltran said.

With a game in which that saw many players, many pitches and many minutes passed, Sacramento State’s bullpen played a pivotal roll against the Rams.

Pitcher Shelby Voelz had a monster game out of the bullpen. Voelz pitched three innings, had three strikeouts, two walks and just two hits for the win.

“I just stayed in a tight zone,” Voelz said.

“Me and the catcher the whole time – didn’t focus on anything else. I just really focused on what I need(ed) to do to help my team out and get the job done,” Voelz.

After the first game Miles was four of five, with three runs and one run batted in. Beltran went three of four with two runs batted in.

Sac State’s second game would be even tougher emotionally and physically. The Hornets faced off with the Cougars of Brigham Young University.

Sacramento State was not quite able to keep up with the Cougars as they lost 9-2.

BYU came out of the gates swinging. The Cougars took an early lead in the first inning and changed the dynamics of the game with a double-steal in the second inning.

The risky play scored center fielder Monica Gonzales and caught Sacramento State totally off-guard.

“Our inexperience kind of bit on that,” Strahan said, “I pointed out how we should have handled that play differently,” and Strahan hopes “to do a better job the next time that comes at us.”

Sac State’s loan bright spot of the second game came in the fourth inning.

With two runners on designated player Sherry Clark smacked the ball in between the third baseman and shortstop, allowing Izmena Cabrera to score.

Then center fielder Alicia Noriega placed the ball in the exact same place as Clark to bring catcher Jamie Schloredt to score.

The 5-2 deficit after four innings would be the closest the Hornets would get to a lead against BYU.

It was a game of missed opportunities for the Hornets as they left eight runners stranded on base. Beltran had another good game at the plate (two of four), as did Schloredt (one of two, with one run).

Although she would like her team to win every game Strahan understands how good Sacramento State’s opponent in the second part of the doubleheader is.

“Playing teams like (BYU) helps breaks our game down, helps explore some things we need to work on,” Strahan said.

We would have had to of have had spot-on pitching, incredible offense and defense,” Strahan said, “the value in playing teams like (BYU) and even losing is if we can learn some lessons and make our game better, ultimately is my hope.”

Sac State (10-16) will face UNLV (21-8) on Saturday at 1 p.m., and the Capital Classic concludes Sunday as they take on Dartmouth (5-4) at 9 a.m.

Coach Strahan hopes her team can work its way through the eight-team tournament.

“It is going to take a lot of individual responsibility. Our athletes need to learn to be able to find that switch and turn it on come game-time. Good teams do that,” Strahan said.

Andrew Hazard can be reached at [email protected]