Sacramento State softball came up short for the second time against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at the Mustang Softball Classic, Sunday in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

The Hornets lost to the Mustangs 6-2, using two pitchers, senior pitcher Taylor Stroud and sophomore pitcher Jennifer Hartman. Stroud pitched the first three innings before giving the ball to Hartman for the final three.

Stroud finished the game allowing five earned runs on six hits, one of which was a home run, in the game.

The Hornets started with an early lead in the first, when sophomore catcher Kortney Solis scored on an RBI single by sophomore first baseman Sasha Margulies. However, The lead would not last long as Cal Poly scored in the bottom half of the first inning.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the third inning in which Cal Poly put up five runs on Sac State.

After an early out to start the third, left fielder Emily Ceccacci singled and later scored on pitcher Sierra Hyland’s RBI double. Hyland, along with second baseman Ashley Romano, scored when Cal Poly’s first baseman Breana West’s launched a three-run home run.

Hartman finished the last three innings giving up one earned run in the sixth, striking out three.

The Mustangs would add another insurance run in the sixth as pinch-hitter Courtney Tyler singled, and later scored on an RBI single by designated player Jillian Andersen.

In the seventh inning, Sac State had runners on first and second base when Margulies hit into the second inning ending double-play of the game.

The Hornets left a total of 10 runners on base in the seven inning affair against the Mustangs on Sunday.

Offensively, junior shortstop Paige Castro led Sac State going 2-for-3 with a triple and a single. She also reached safely on a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning.

With the loss on Sunday, the Hornets fall to 8-10 on the season. They will travel to the University of Nevada, Reno on Wednesday for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Clifton can be reached on Twitter at @jonesSHsports