The setting, most of the cast and the plot were all more or less the same for the Sacramento State softball team this time around.

After ending each of the last two seasons in disappointment and watching the last two Pacific Coast Softball Conference championships celebrated by visitors at Shea Stadium on the final weekend of the season, the Hornets reversed roles and were able to celebrate – a little. For the difference this year is that Sac State ?” which ended the regular season on an eight-game win streak with four wins over Portland State over the weekend ?” will have to await the conclusion of a cliffhanger to learn if its efforts were enough for the school’s first-ever PCSC title.

The Hornets swept the Vikings out of Sacramento and now have a chance at the conference crown if Loyola Marymount wins just one of three games in a make-up series at Portland State this weekend. If the Vikings win out they will finish one game ahead of the Hornets, thus earning their first-ever PCSC championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals, which begin May 19.

“I just pray and hope (that LMU wins a game next weekend),” senior pitcher Nikki Cinque said after what may have been her final game clad in green and gold. “We’re all crossing our fingers.”

The Vikings and Lions are forced to make up the three games because they were rained out April 14 and 15 in Portland.

Sac State (35-20 overall, 14-6 PCSC) currently sits in second place to the still first-place Vikings (34-18, 12-5), needing only a tie in record for a conference title. That win will have to come from fourth-place Loyola Marymount (29-21, 9-8).

Entering last weekend’s play, the Hornets knew they needed to win at least three of four with Portland State to not only earn a potential tiebreaker with the Vikings, but also keep pace with Loyola Marymount, which had its own ideas about winning the conference.

“We came together better than we have all year,” Cinque said. “We all wanted to go out with a bang.”

By virtue of the Lions splitting with San Diego (22-24, 10-10) they can play for no better than third place and represent Sac State’s only chance at the title.

“We just have to wait for fate to play its hand at this point,” Hornets coach Kathy Strahan said.

Rebuilding year?

In the past Strahan has said she likes to under-promise and over-achieve with her teams and her 2006 squad did just that.

“There were a lot of unanswered questions for us at the beginning of the year,” Strahan said. “But we came together faster than I imagined we would.”

Sac State began the year 4-9 and following a sweep by No. 9 Cal in Berkeley on Feb. 24 things were still in disarray. Freshman pitcher Cassie Cervantes ?” who played a big role in the Hornets eventual success ?” was on the shelf and the team was hitting below .200.

But beginning the very next day with a decisive sweep of UC Davis the Hornets finally took flight and rolled to a 31-11 finish.

Cervantes had her coming out party three weeks later over a masterful stretch of eight days in which she struck out 15, 17, 19 and 15 batters in consecutive games while tossing her first of three no-hitters of the season. Fellow freshman and battery mate Jamie Schloredt matured at the plate on the way to hitting .333 and shattering fellow Woodland High alumnae Jillian Bivert’s single-season RBI record with 42 while also hitting seven homers.

Record breakers

The turnaround at the plate brought about by first-year assistant head coach Cara Hoyt ?” who also serves as the team’s hitting coach ?” cannot be understated.

Seven returning Hornets had their finest seasons hitting the ball in 2006, not the least of whom was senior centerfielder Lindy Winkler who shattered the school’s Division I single-season batting average record, hitting .434.

“I was just trying to play hard and do what I do,” Winkler said.

The Hornets hit .286 as team ?” the highest mark in the Div. I era ?” and 32 home runs, which is more than the last four years combined. In addition the 2006 squad broke or tied the following records: On-base percentage (.355), slugging percentage (.415), hits (417, tied with the 1992 team), runs (250), doubles (71). RBIs (220) and total bases (604).

“The offensive turnaround this year allowed us to win games we just wouldn’t have in the past,” Strahan said. “I’m not a mathematician, but it feels like that accounted for quite a bit of our success.”

Honoring seniors

Prior to Sunday’s doubleheader seniors Winkler, Cinque, Gloria Toledo, Britany Crine, Joanna O’Neill and Danielle Ackland were honored for their contributions to the program.

Regardless of a Regionals berth Winkler leaves the program as one of the most accomplished and decorated players in program history. She now holds the program records for at-bats (732), runs (140), hits (262), triples (17), batting average (.357) and stolen bases (32). In addition Winkler is in the career top 10 in doubles, home runs, RBIs and walks.

“I’ll never ever forget her,” Strahan said of Winkler. “As long as I’m here I think I’m going to be looking around the dugout for No. 3.”

John Parker can be reached at [email protected]