After three years of landing in the No. 2 position in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference, the Sacramento State softball team has completed its best conference record of 14-6 and will head to the NCAA Regional for the first time since 1995.

“It’s an incredibly wonderful feeling. (We were) sick and tired of being No. 2,” said coach Kathy Strahan.” (This was) a great conference race and we are so thrilled to be at the top.”

Sac State was deadlocked with Loyola Marymount in the No. 1 spot after Saturday’s conference doubleheader. The Hornets and Lions were 12-6 with one doubleheader to play on Sunday. Sac State needed to win both games against San Diego and have Loyola Marymount lose at least one game to Saint Mary’s on Sunday to make it to the postseason.

The Lions had the tiebreaker over the Hornets as Loyola Marymount beat Sac State during both doubleheaders on April 19 and 20.

Strahan said assistant head coach Cara Hoyt writes a word of the day and print 24 copies, one for each member of the team. The word Hoyt had come up with before the final two conference games with San Diego was “faith.”

“It ended up being so telling,” Strahan said.

The Hornets ended both of Sunday’s games with the Aztecs early, winning game one 20-3 in five innings and game two 9-1 in six innings.

The Lions lost their chances of postseason glory as the Gaels’ Sadie Dolcini belted a three-run homer in the seventh, which changed a 7-5 lead for Loyola Marymount to an 8-7 loss.

Loyola Marymount tied with Portland State for the No. 2 spot in the PCSC with a final record of 13-7.

Senior Amy Tompkins was at a loss for words when she found out the Hornets made it over the bump of being No. 2.

“Really for me, it’s a dream come true. I want it for Sac, for myself and for the team – for Teri (Ann Caoagan) and Hilary (Johnson), the only four-year seniors,” Tompkins said. ” It feels so good to get rewarded.”

This wasn’t just a bit of luck as the Hornets have been catching records and hitting streaks throughout the season.

Junior Jamie Schloredt, just one of the few who has sets records, hit six career or single-season records this season.

“(It’s) a good feeling to be able to put your mark and be remembered in the program,” she said. “And it’s beneficiary for the team – it makes it even better. It’s not like I’m just on a piece of paper – I’m helping the team.”

Strahan said this year’s team is a “dream” to have with the “leadership and chemistry.”

“I’ve never seen the fireworks like this year’s,” she said.

Tompkins said the batting lineup is strong, not only in the nine batter, but on the bench.

“We have a solid hitting team ? anyone off the bench can come in and get a hit and be a clutch for us. The team has confidence when someone goes up to the plate,” She said.

The Hornet softball program hasn’t been to the NCAA Regional for 13 years, but Strahan doesn’t think the competition is anything Sac State hasn’t seen before.

“I’ve been on a regional ranking committee. I’ve seen this for 23 years,” she said. “We have played top-10 and top-20 teams. We’ve seen Cal, Stanford and Fresno. We don’t fear (the competition). The fun is going to begin for us.”

Tompkins agreed with Strahan on the competition. She said how Sac State beat Cal, came within two runs of Reno, who are two of the top teams in the state.

“(There’s) only been one or two (games) where we have been run-ruled,” Tompkins said. “We are really competitive with them (to) gear up and take down big teams.”

Junior Izmena Cabrera, who transferred from the College of Charleston, said this is something new for the team, but it’s ready to make its mark.

“(We want to) take it as far as we can go. None of us want it to end. (We want to) take this organization to a place it’s never been,” she said.

Karyn Gilbert can be reached at [email protected]