Riding a 15-game losing streak in the Big West Conference, Sacramento State’s baseball team traveled south to California State University, Fresno, to restore a little confidence in their game in a non-conference match up.

The three-day series ended on Sunday with an 8-5 Hornet (18-28 overall) victory to claim the series, two games to one. On Saturday, the Hornets prevailed 8-3 after dropping an 11-1 contest on Friday.

Sac State earlier posted an 8-7 victory over University of Nevada on Tuesday to snap its eight-game losing streak.

“I think (the team) now believes in themselves like we did in the early stage of the season,” Hornet coach John Smith said.

Chris Kinsey, Tim Reimer, Casey Fuller and Ryan Brown all hit home runs in Sunday’s game.

Fuller was the envy of all at the plate, going 4-for-5 and notching four RBIs in the victory.

The Hornets wasted no time in getting ahead of the Bulldogs, scoring three runs in the first inning.

Fresno State pitcher Francisco Nieves struggled from the first pitch when Reimer connected on one of his two hits for the game, doubling to center field.

Kinsey got his only RBI of the afternoon when he singled into left field, allowing Reimer to cross the plate uncontested.

Mario Celillo and Fuller were also able to take advantage of the troubled Nieves and brought in two more Sac State runs, giving the team an early 3-0 lead.

The offense of both the Bulldogs and Hornets was stagnant for the next three innings until Fuller helped revive his teammates in the fifth with a single to right field.

Nieves was soon replaced by David Bair, whose uneasiness at the mound proved helpful for the Hornets.

With the bases loaded, he walked freshman Bret LeVier and later walked Fuller in for the Hornets’ fourth run of the game.

The sixth inning put the dagger in the hearts of the Bulldogs when the Hornets took advantage of the Bulldogs’ fourth pitcher of the contest.

Sean Ruthven couldn’t finish out the inning as Sac State demoralized him at the plate, scoring four more runs.

After Reimer scored the first run of the inning, Fuller stepped to the plate and hit a three-run homer over the centerfield fence.

Marshall Plouffe’s performance was just as necessary for a Hornet victory.

In six innings of work, Plouffe allowed only two hits, but the successful run ended in the seventh inning when the Bulldogs staged a dramatic comeback and scored five runs off five hits.

Celillo was Sac State’s saving grace with a dramatic catch in deep right field to prevent two more runs from scoring and getting the Hornets out of the inning.

Junior Dusty Decker picked up the save for Sac State, shutting out the Bulldogs in the final two innings.

Saturday’s 8-3 victory for Sac State snapped a 15-home game winning streak for the Bulldogs.

“Everyone hit from top to bottom,” Smith said. “I was quite pleased with the way we swung the bat this weekend.”

The top of the Hornets’ batting lineup continued its success when Celillo again struck in the first inning, this time hitting a two-run homer that brought in Reimer.

The early two-run lead was threatened in the second inning when senior Jeff Groeger gave up three runs in the only blemish of his complete game pitched.

Groeger gave up three runs, one homer and let one run score when a pickoff attempt turned sour for the Hornets.

Down 3-2 in the third inning, Kinsey proved once again why he is one of the most feared Big West hitters at the plate.

Kinsey added homerun No. 16 to his season stats when he took Fresno pitcher Zach Minor deep to center field for a two-run homer.

Five innings of tough defense and excellent pitching by both teams ended in the ninth inning when the Hornets added extra insurance.

Sac State picked up three more runs on RBIs from Reimer, Kinsey and Celillo.

Groeger finished what he started, securing his fifth victory of the season after not allowing a hit in the ninth. He finished the evening scattering nine hits.

On the offensive side, Kinsey and Celillo led the Hornets with three RBIs apiece and Reimer joined in on the fun with two.

The first game of the series was the Bulldogs only victory, they knocked of Sac State 11-1.

Kinsey struggled on the mound giving up four runs in the first inning including a three-run homer that barely stayed fair.

In the second inning, Kinsey walked the first two batters and gave up four runs before junior Steve Cuckovich was brought in for relief.

The Bulldogs scored two more runs in the inning on the way to the 11-1 victory.

Sac State returns to action on Friday in a game at University of California, Irvine.

The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 7 p.m. University of California, Irvine, sits at second place in the Big West Conference with a 10-4 record.

The Hornets are currently 0-15 in the Big West, and in danger of being the first team ever to finish winless in the Big West.

“I’m not so much dissapointed with this season. I expected it to be rough,” Smith said. “I thought we were very talented, but as young as we are you just can’t afford injuries.”

Over the past few weeks, the Hornets have suffered injuries to Tito Barba, Joe Evans, Bret LeVier, Reimer, Kinsey, Fuller, Cellilo and starting pitcher Kevin Marzion.