Amy Tompkins knew it was do-or-die time.

Trailing St. Mary’s in the top of the sixth inning with two outs and another run coming to the plate, the freshman second baseman came up with a backhanded stop and flipped to first base, beating Gael designated player Chelsea Loftis by half a step and getting the Hornets into the dugout with just a two-run deficit in a game they couldn’t afford to lose.

“I just reacted,” Tompkins said. “I knew I had to bear down those two runners on base.

“It was do-or-die.”

The Hornets (23-19, 6-4) responded in the bottom of the inning with a four-run rally to take a 5-3 lead they did not relinquish, finishing of a sweep of St. Mary’s (7-35, 0-10) in a Pacific Coast Softball Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Shea Stadium. The sweep puts Sac State in a tie for second place in the conference, but still three games behind frontrunner Loyola Marymount.

Right after the Tompkins play got Sac State out of a jam, coach Kathy Strahan addressed the Hornets and reminded them of the situation they were facing.

“I told the team we were being out-played by a team we shouldn’t be,” Strahan said. “I told them they needed to get a fire burning in their stomachs right then and there.”

Lindy Winkler promptly responded, lining the first pitch she saw into left field to lead off a rally in which the first five Hornets to bat reached base safely. Erin Coyne followed Winkler with a double to put runners on second and third for shortstop Gloria Toledo. Toledo singled to center field scoring Winkler and advanced to second base on the throw home that nailed Ashley Dawson — pinch running for Coyne — at the plate for the first out of the inning.

After a wild pitch advanced Toledo to third base, she scored to tie the game on a throwing error by St. Mary’s catcher Eleni Papailias. The Hornets got two insurance runs on RBI singles from Amy Hillel and Hilary Johnson before Papailias ended the inning by throwing out Johnson trying to steal second base.

“It’s very frustrating to be a catcher (and watch a rally) being so involved with every play, yet physically you can’t do everything.” Papailias said. “That shows that Sac State is a good team to carry the momentum from a great defensive play onto their offense.”

In all, four runs crossed the plate for the Hornets in the sixth inning, on six hits and two stolen bases. The Gaels committed a fielding error, a throwing error and Loftis threw two wild pitches after replacing starter Kate Albaugh with one out in the inning.

Unfortunately for Strahan and her current Hornets, the rally occurred after members of the 1995 club that went 40-15 and finished the season ranked No. 8 nationally had left for the afternoon. The reunion between games was to honor three-time All-American pitcher Susie Bugliarello, whose No. 17 jersey was officially retired in a ceremony between games.Bugliarello is the Hornet career leader in multiple pitching categories including wins (72), shutouts (43) and strikeouts (945). She went on to pitch for Italy in both the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004, respectively.

“It’s great to be back here, although it’s a little different from the last time,” Bugliarello said. “It really brings back memories.”

Bugliarello said she thanked Strahan for everything when the two met in the circle when she was presented with her framed jersey.

“I also asked her if she was sure her eligibility was up,” Strahan said tongue-in-cheek. “Then she confirmed for me that it was.”

In the opener of the doubleheader Strahan’s current ace, senior Brianne Ferguson, put on a show for the 1995 alumnae assembled for the ceremony, striking out 10 batters en route to a 2-0 shutout win.

“It was really important to get a win today,” Ferguson said of beating the winless-in-conference Gaels. “We don’t want to be that team they beat, let it be someone else.”

The Hornets got their first run on a throwing error by Gael first baseman Claudia Williams who, after retiring Winkler, tried to get Johnson at third base. Johnson scampered home on the play to give Sac State a 1-0 edge.

Junior first baseman Danielle Ackland singled in the only other run of game on in the fourth after Toledo tripled to leadoff the inning.

The Hornets leapfrog from fourth in the Pacific Coast to a tie for second with the sweep combined with San Diego (16-16, 6-4) and Portland State (16-19, 6-4) — both of whom entered the week tied for second place — splitting their doubleheader on Saturday. Loyola Marymount (27-15, 9-1) maintained its firm grasp on first place with a sweep of Santa Clara (20-27, 3-7) and now has a three game lead over the Hornets, Toreros and Vikings.

Sac State returns to Shea Stadium tomorrow in a noon doubleheader to finish its four-game series with St. Mary’s.

“We’ve been really inconsistent in finding and holding onto a competitive edge this year Strahan said. “If we can finally hold onto it now, we’re capable and I know we can beat them again.”