If Sac State plans to upset the third-ranked Stanford Cardinal today during its double-header, they better remember to check the webbing on their gloves. Normally a sure-handed squad, the Hornets enter today?s contest having dropped both ends of an error-filled three-game series with the Cal Poly Mustangs.

“I wish we could have ended on a winning note,” said Hornet softball coach Kathy Strahan. “Our destiny was in our hands. We haven?t been able to sustain anything offensively or defensively. Until we can, it is going to be tough.”

Things get real tough today against the Cardinal, who have thrived off their consistency in both levels of the game.

“Stanford is really, really good. They have the pitching and the hitting,” Strahan said. “They hold the whole package.”

Strahan, discouraged after losing last weekend?s series to Cal Poly, knows that her team has nothing to lose going into today?s doubleheader versus Stanford at 2 p.m. at Shea Stadium.

“We?re frustrated and hungry. We want to turn the corner,” Strahan said. “We have nothing to lose at this point ??we?re not supposed to win.”

The Hornets, currently 17-32 and 5-13 in the Big West, dropped two of three games against the Mustangs despite allowing just one earned run in 22 innings.

“If you break the season down into two halves, you?ll notice a big difference,” Strahan said of her pitching staff?s progress. “In the second half of the season, they (pitching staff) have made the adjustments and, should we get the defensive support, many of these games would be ?W?s?.”

In all, the Hornet committed seven errors during the weekend series. The Mustangs translated seven turnovers into seven runs, four of which decided Sunday?s rubber match. The Hornets lost the rubber match, 6-3.

After an RBI-double by Andrea Becker gave the Hornets a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third, the Mustangs, with plenty of help from the Hornets? defense, began to work at erasing the deficit in the top half of the fourth.

The Mustangs? Michelle Uithoven started the six-run inning with a two-run single, scoring both Kasey Poet and Roni Sparrey. Poet reached base on a single to right field, while Sparrey reached safely on a fielder?s choice. After Melissa Haley scored on Alaina Lofthus?s second error of the inning, the Mustangs plated three more runs on a bases-clearing error by the Hornets? Arlette Sunseri in left field.

“We had a monstrously bad inning,” said Strahan. ” Miscues in the outfield, couldn?t handle balls in the infield. It was gut wrenching.”

“We could have won that game, 3-0,” Strahan said. “But, we gave it away.”

Hornets starting pitcher Nicole Deatherage (7-14), who pitched one of her finest outings this season, picked up the loss despite allowing no earned runs. The shutout loss was the third of the season for the true-freshman.

“Nicole did a good job. She was really poised on the mound for a freshman,” said Strahan. “We needed her to grow up in a hurry and she did a wonderful job.”

Sac State looked to make up lost ground in the sixth inning, but a Lori Meixner two-run home run was too little too late. It was the first home run of the season for the second baseman that relieved the mistake-prone Lofthus in the fourth inning.

“Lori has been hitting the ball hard,” Strahan said. “And she continued it all game.”

Gina Steenburgen (4-6) picked up the Hornets? only win of the series, 2-0, pitching a complete game shutout. Steenburgen completed seven innings of work, allowing just three base hits while striking out three.

She had great poise on the mound and delivered a solid pitching performance, Strahan said.

But, better yet, Steenburgen worked around the errors. The Hornets? defense committed two errors during Saturday?s late game, but Steenburgen took it upon herself to extinguish the threats??especially in the first and third innings.

After an error moved the Mustangs? Dansby into scoring position, Steenburgen promptly struck out Cal Poly?s Jackie Wansby. And, then with runners on first and third with two outs in the third, Steenburgen induced Poet into an inning-ending grounder back towards the mound.

Later, in the third, Dansby again made her way into scoring position. Looking poised to touch home plate, Steenburgen quickly ended the threat with a strikeout.

But, where the Mustangs had trouble rounding third, the Hornets didn?t. Sac State wasted little time to score a run, picking up its initial run in the first, courtesy of Jillian Bivert. Bivert roped an RBI-single to right field, knocking home freshman Amber Dragomir.Both Bivert and Dragomir led the Hornets in hits in the series with four each.

Not coincidentally, both Bivert and Dragomir, who have started in every game they have played this season, are the leading hit-producers for the Hornets on the year.

Bivert would add an insurance run in the third, when she scored on an RBI-single by Jennifer Jokinen.

“With Amber getting on base as much as she is, that?s what you want to see,” Strahan said of Bivert?s production. “She (Bivert) has been steady for us all season. She?s a great contact hitter and sees the ball well. She?s clutch.”

In the opening game of the series, the Mustangs took advantage of an eighth inning Hornet fielding mistake to steal the game, 2-1, and the momentum.

Dansby, who reached base via an error by Becker at shortstop, raced home with the game-winning run from second base on a single by Poet.

“She (Dansby) is a great contact hitter and she is small,” Strahan said. “She keeps the ball in play and does a really nice job for them.”

Dansby also accounted for Cal Poly?s first run, ripping an RBI-single to centerfield.Now Sac State is set to host Stanford, with game one starting at 2 p.m. at Shea Stadium today. The Hornets will travel to Long Beach State this weekend.