Stanislaus State blanks HNU in doubleheader for 6th straight win

Stanislaus State pitchers tossed a pair of shutouts against Holy Names University, completing a four-game sweep of the Hawks on Monday at Warrior Field.

In the first game, Ryan Paramo threw six scoreless innings en route to a 2-0 win, while Stewart Alexander blanked Holy Names for four innings in the 1-0 nightcap victory.

The Warriors (7-1) have now won six consecutive games and will host Simpson University in a three-game set Saturday (doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.) and Sunday (noon).

In the opener, Paramo struggled to find his footing, working out of jams in each of the first three innings.

“I was working my fastball in and out and was finally able to get my change-up down in the fourth,” said Paramo, who struck out seven while scattering five hits.

In the fifth, the senior southpaw gave way to Ian Chandler, who struck out four and didn’t allow a hit in two innings of relief. Nick Voumard worked around a hit in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.

Offensively for the Warriors, John Holleran was 3-for-3 and scored the first game of the contest. Holleran lined a one-out single to center, moved to third on Austin Fitzpatrick’s single down the left-field line, and then scored on Ethan Utler’s sacrifice bunt to the first-base side of the pitcher’s mound.

Stanislaus State added an insurance run in the sixth when Holleran singled in Charlie Gaff, who opened the inning with a single up the middle, moved to second on a groundout and took third on a sacrifice fly by Gino Franceschetti.

In the second game, the Warriors pushed across the game’s only run in the second when Franceschetti, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, took second and third on back-to-back errors and then scored on Cody Kruip’s sacrifice fly to center.

Stewart, meanwhile, fanned five and allowed just two hits in his four innings on the hill.

Second baseman Brad Bussard, a Ceres High graduate who attends Holy Names along with his twin brother, Brent Bussard, was 1-for-3 in the nightcap.

This story was originally published February 14, 2017 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Stanislaus State blanks HNU in doubleheader for 6th straight win."