It was a great week for Sac State baseball, as it blew out Stanford on Wednesday, before taking two out of three games at UC Riverside over the weekend.

The 12-3 win over Stanford at Raley Field was on Wednesday and it seems to have gotten the Hornets (22-30) going, as they immediately responded with 27 runs in the three-game series versus the Highlanders (17-31).

Head coach John Smith has seen the bats heat lately, starting in last Tuesday?s 9-7 to Hawaii, the day before the win over Stanford.

“The Hawaii game, more than any other, propelled us to another level,” Smith said. “If we could have spread that out throughout the year, we could have gelled together. We?re starting to peak, and it?s nice to see even though it?s late.”

In Sunday?s 6-4 win, freshman pitcher Marshall Plouffe threw his first career complete game, giving up 10 hits, five walks, and three earned runs.

“It makes a huge statement for our young staff,” Smith said. “This is the first time in a long time that we have had two fresh arms (Plouffe and freshman Chris Kinsey).”

The Hornets were led by second baseman Bobby Ciani at the plate, as the freshman had a double and a clutch two-run single to center field in the top of the sixth inning.

In Saturday?s win, Sac State did not need a good pitching performance to win the game, but senior Mike Miranda decided to pitch a nice game anyway.

Miranda (8-4) threw seven innings, allowing 11 hits, three walks and three runs, while striking out eight Highlanders.

Sac State?s Aurelio Jackson got hits in all five at bats and the senior also scored three runs in the win.

Ciani was key in this game as well, as the second baseman had two hits and three RBI. Designated hitter Joe Evans had three hits and a home run and three RBI, and left fielder Kinsey also homered and had three base hits.

The Hornets attacked the Highlanders? hurlers with 20 hits in all.

Friday was a different story for the Hornets as they went into the bottom of the ninth inning with a 9-7 lead, but the Highlanders scored three times in the final frame off Sac State closer Michael Penbera, and won the game, 10-9.

Sac State scored four times in the top of the fourth inning, but at the same time saw Jackson?s bid for a NCAA record fall short as he sacrificed the mark for his team. Jackson had a sacrifice bunt in the inning, marking the first time in 17 plate appearances that he did not reach base safely. The NCAA record is 17.

Smith, even if he would have realized a record was near, would still have had the speedy, leadoff hitter bunt.

“To be honest, I never think of records,” Smith said. “We were trying to win and Aurelio is not somebody who is going to be selfish.”

Jackson is currently leading the Hornets in batting average (.342), walks (23), on base percentage (.453), and steals (39).

After Sac State jumped out to that 4-1 lead, UC Riverside put up two runs in the bottom of the third and three in the last of the fourth against Sac State?s Kinsey, to regain the lead at 6-4.

In the top of the sixth inning, Sac State tied the game at six with the help of a hit and some walks. After both teams scored in the eighth inning, the Hornets broke the 7-7 tie in the top of the ninth inning when Daryl Grant hit a two-run home run.

But it was not meant to be as the Highlanders won the game with three runs in the last of the ninth inning. Penbera allowed a two-out, two-run single by Brandon Smith, and that was it.Smith thought thought that Penbera was throwing strikes but the umpires did not see it that way.

“We didn?t get the calls that should have gone our way,” Smith said. “He just didn?t get the calls.”

Before the series with the Highlanders, Sac State defeated Stanford, 12-3, on Wednesday at Raley Field before an audience of 2,460 people.

Jackson, Mario Celillo, and Tim Maghan all had three hits for the Hornets against Stanford, ranked number seven in the nation.

“That was pretty neat to watch,” Smith said of the win. “Our guys got real excited playing Stanford.”

Jeff Groeger (5-7) threw a complete game, allowing no earned runs and eight hits in the victory.

Sac State hosts Cal State Northridge in the last series of the year this weekend. First pitch on Friday is at 2 p.m.