Apparently Cassie Cervantes didn’t want to leave any doubt about it.

The freshman pitcher threw a no-hit shutout against Utah State on Sunday to clinch the Capital Classic Softball Tournament title for the host Hornets. It was the first time Sacramento State won the tournament in 10 years.

“I didn’t know at all that it was a no-hitter until after the game,” Cervantes said. “I was excited.”

Not since the playing days of three-time All-American and two-time Olympian pitcher Susie Bugliarello had the Hornets battered competition in this fashion at the Sacramento Softball Complex. The Hornets went 4-0 at the three-day tournament and were crowned champions by virtue of outscoring opponents by 30 runs. Cal, Wisconsin and Princeton also went 4-0.

“We’ve turned a corner and are starting to roll,” Hornets coach Kathy Strahan said. “I’m just trying to let them play and stay out of the way at this point.”

In all, Sac State’s pitching allowed just two runs all weekend while the Hornets hit five home runs and batted .321 as a team. Lindy Winkler (.643), Nikki Cinque (.500), Teri Ann Caoagan (.417) and Jamie Schloredt (.400) all hit .400 or better. Cinque was named Sac State’s all-tournament selection and thus the tournament MVP after notching two wins in the circle, hitting her first two home runs and driving in 10 runs.

“The ball is really big to me right now,” Cinque said. “I hope it stays that way.”

And in front of Bugliarello’s father, Mike ?” who came Sunday to see the freshman sensation breaking his daughter’s records ?” Cervantes sealed the deal striking out 15 Aggies in the process. On Saturday she broke Bugliarello’s single-game strikeout record with 19 in a thrilling 11-inning win over Syracuse after breaking the seven-inning record (also formerly owned by Bugliarello) with 17 against Iowa last Wednesday.

“This is better than Susie was her freshman year,” Strahan said.

Orange crushed

Adam Sandler would be proud.

Despite building tension in Saturday afternoon’s game with Syracuse, Cinque strode to the plate and still managed to go to her Happy Place.

“I relaxed,” said the senior pitcher who had entered the game as the designated hitter in the seventh. “I just sat back and told myself ‘Breathe Nikki.'”

Cinque drilled the first pitch she saw deep to right-centerfield and out for a two-run, walk-off home run to lift the Hornets to a 3-1 victory over the Orange after 11 innings and nearly three hours of softball.

The blast signaled the end of a marathon of a game in which both teams combined to strand 22 runners and neither could push a run across despite each inning starting with a runner on second base because of the international tie-breaker rule.

“I knew this one was gone,” said Cinque, who had her hands above her head, fists pumped, when she rounded first. “I felt like I hit this one really hard.”

First timers

Cinque, Winkler and sophomore shortstop Amy Tompkins, hit their first career home runs during the tournament.

In her four years on the team Winkler had 36 extra base hits entering Friday night’s matchup with Southern Utah, but never had one cleared the fence until she lined a 2-1 pitch from Bobbi Jo Merrill over the center field fence. The Hornets went on to win the game 8-0 in five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.”I’m just trying to hit the ball,” Winkler said, “out, in, it doesn’t matter.”

Cinque followed suit four batters later with her first blast as a Hornet, a towering shot to left-centerfield.”I saw Lindy hit her first and said, “Now I want to hit one!” Cinque joked.

Tompkins’ first career round-tripper came in a 16-1 rout of Miami-Ohio on Saturday night. The Hornets’ 5-foot-3 hitter led off the second inning with a lazy fly ball that barely cleared the left-field fence.

“I don’t really swing for the fence,” Tompkins said. “Every now and again I get a hold of one. – They’re few and far between but it feels good.”

Sac State tied its program record for runs in a game with 16 and scored the most runs in a single inning in recent memory, scoring 13 in the fourth.

Going streaking

Winkler led off the Utah State game for the Hornets on Sunday morning with the second home run of her career ?” a line drive to right field ?” to extend two precious and lengthy streaks.

The senior center fielder has hit safely in 16 straight games, and the Hornets have now hit a home run in the last four. Winkler leads the team in batting average at .403 and the Hornets are hitting .275 with 11 home runs. Last year the Hornets hit .249 with just six home runs.

“I’m just seeing the ball really well right now,” Winkler said. “The team has been working really hard (at the plate) too.”

John Parker can be reached at [email protected]