The Sacramento State softball team fell to the University of Northern Colorado in the series finale on Saturday in Greeley, Colo.

After managing 31 hits and 19 runs in Friday’s doubleheader, Sac State squeaked out only four hits and one run against the Bears pitcher Megan Wilkinson.

After giving up 13 hits and nine runs in the second game on Friday, Wilkinson gave her defense better chances to make plays, forcing 11 ground outs and nine fly outs.

The timely hitting exhibited in Friday’s two wins was no where to be found for the Hornets in the series finale as they left a total of seven runners on base. Sac State was .200 with runners on base and .250 with runners in scoring position.

“The timing was off with our bats today, we could not square up the ball on their pitcher like we were yesterday,” said Sac State head coach Lori Perez. “She (Wilkinson) did a great job today, she had some big pitches against us.”

In what started as a pitching duel between Wilkinson and Hornets’ sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Yerby during the first few innings before the Bears started to pull away in the bottom of the third inning.

Yerby, who started the game, managed to stay in the game for only 2.2 innings before Perez yanked the left hander. She replaced Yerby with sophomore Jennifer Hartman to pitch the rest of game.

“Northern Colorado was squaring up the ball on Yerby,” Perez said. “So we brought in Jen to show something different.”

Yerby faced a total of 11 batters, allowing three earned runs on five hits and struck out one batter.

The Bears got the game started in the second inning when third baseman Kaitlyin Flynn’s RBI single in right center platted the first score of the game. The Hornets would score their lone run in the top of the third inning with sophomore designated player Kortney Solis RBI single.

But the Bears offense was too much for the Hornets as Northern Colorado scored seven runs in the last four innings. After taking over for Yerby, Hartman was shelled for five runs on eight hits and four walks in 3.1 innings of work.

With the loss on Saturday the Hornets (17-16, 6-2) will make up a previous scheduled game against the University of Pacific on Tuesday. First pitch will be at 6 p.m. in Stockton, Calif.

Clifton Jones can be reached on Twitter @SH_Sports