TURLOCK – Despite a frustrating day-late start to its 2009 season, the Humboldt State softball team opened the Best of the West Invitational presented by Mizuno with two victories over Sonoma State and Davis & Elkins, each in five innings.

“We shutout two teams today,” Humboldt State head softball coach Frank Cheek said. “We had big hits and our defense was outstanding. We gave up only one run in both games and had 13 hits in the first game and 11 in the second.”

Caitlin Klug's big plays helped the Jacks defeat Sonoma State 8-0, as she posted the team's first run with a homer in the bottom of the first and increased the team's lead to 4-0 as her double brought home Felicia Vivieros and Nikki Ketteringham in the second.

In HSU's next inning up to bat, Geneva Perrine hit a RBI single to right field to bring Marissa Slattery home. Vivieros was up next and in similar fashion singled to right field to bring in Chrissy Motzny. Slattery and Motzny got on base by a walk.

The Jacks recorded a run in the fourth and ended the game in the fifth as Motzny's second run of the game came from Ketteringham's single RBI.

Gracie Perez collected her first Lumberjack win striking out three batters, giving up three hits and walking two. Sonoma State's Brittany Williams registered the loss giving up 10 hits and seven earned runs and walked three.

HSU's second win came with help from a big six-run inning in the fifth. Klug started off the inning with a single to left field and was followed by Natalie Galletly's double. Klug and Sammi Gilbert, who went in to pinch run for Galletly, scored on Francesca West's double. West then advanced to third on an error by the second baseman and was brought in for the Jacks' third run off of Motzny's double.

Vivieros tripled to bring in Motzny and Perrine, Perine got on base by a walk. To finish off the scoring, Vivieros was brought home as Ketteringham singled.

The Lumberjacks also scored one in the second and two in the third.

Amber Vineyard recorded Davis & Elkins' lone run in the bottom of the fourth off of a Britne Baca double.

Jenna Anderson picked up the 9-1 win over the Senators striking out four and giving up one hit and one earned run in four innings. Kristina Lewis made an appearance in the fifth giving up one hit.

HSU resumes play tomorrow with an 11:15 a.m. game against Central Washington and finishes the tournament against host Cal State Stanislaus at 1:30 p.m.

“Tomorrow we play Stanislaus and they are a good team who is capable of beating us,” Cheek said. “They have the same group back, who are all seniors, that won the west region two years ago. They have a solid club.”

Game One
Humboldt State 8, Sonoma State 0 (Feb 07, 2009 at Turlock, Calif.)
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Sonoma State........ 000 00 -  0  3  1      (0-1)
Humboldt State...... 132 11 -  8 13  0      (1-0)
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Pitchers: Sonoma State - WILLIAMS; BRANDALISE(5). Humboldt State - PEREZ, Gracie.
Win-PEREZ, Gracie(1-0)  Loss-WILLIAMS(0-1)  T-1:35  A-75
HR HSU - KLUG, Caitlin.

Game Two
Humboldt State 9, Davis & Elkins 1 (Feb 07, 2009 at Turlock, Calif.)
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Humboldt State...... 012 06 -  9 11  0      (2-0)
Davis & Elkins...... 000 10 -  1  2  2      (0-2)
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Pitchers: Humboldt State - ANDERSON, Jenna; LEWIS, Kristina(5). Davis & Elkins - BACCA;
VINEYARD, D.(5).
Win-ANDERSON, Jenna(1-0)  Loss-BACCA(0-2)  T-1:35  A-85