In a crucial series with Santa Clara University, the Sacramento State softball team did what it had to do: It won all four games against the Broncos over the weekend. Heading down the home stretch the Hornets can see the top spot in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference and an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. The Hornets got a tremendous amount of help in the first game of the series on Saturday, coming off the bat of Izmena Cabrera. She hit a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning. After back-to-back hits from Whitney Loomis and Amy Tompkins, Cabrera was the Hornets’ last hope, coming to the plate with two outs. She proved to be clutch, giving the Hornets the 3-2 win. Jamie Schloredt continued her power hitting, flexing her muscle in the bottom of the first inning by hitting her 10th home run of the season. Sophomore Brittani Clifford got the start in Saturday’s second game and pitched her way to her 11th win of the season. Sac State delivered the knockout punch in the third inning, getting four hits and three runs on its way to the 5-4 win. Loomis sparked the Hornet offense going 1-for-2 in the game, and driving in two runs. The one-run win could have been more for the Hornets if they were able to drive in runners: They left a total of nine of them on the bases. Pitcher Kayla Meeks stood out among the rest in the third game of the series on Sunday, pitching a complete-game shutout. Meeks only allowed two hits while striking out six. She also had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-3. Again, Schloredt’s hitting proved to be the difference for the Hornets, accounting for all of the team’s runs. Schloredt hit her 11th home run in the team’s 2-0 win. The series finale on Sunday afternoon brought a strong offensive performance for Sac State, as the Hornets pounded out 11 hits and scored nine runs in the team’s eighth shutout of the season. Four Hornets had multiple hits in the game, ending the game in the fifth inning via the mercy rule. The Broncos committed two costly errors in the Hornets’ half of the third inning, which led to six Hornet runs. Jenice Bartee and Loomis were a combined 4-for-6 at the plate, driving in five of the Hornets’ nine runs. Sac State wraps up its regular season on the road against San Diego in a back-to-back doubleheader series starting Saturday.

Jose Martinez can be reached at [email protected]