There is a first time for everything at Pocatello, Idaho for Sacramento State softball as it split two games with the Idaho State Bengals, Friday. The Hornets won its first game in Pocatello since coming into the Big Sky Conference.

Redshirt freshman third baseman Alexis Martinez and senior second baseman/shortstop Yesenia Alcala both homered for the first time this season.

Although it was Martinez second home run of her career at Sac State, it was Alcala’s first home run ever as a Hornet. Her moment to shine came in the top of the third inning with a full count, two outs and a runner on first.

In the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Alcala got a piece of the ball to send it over the center field fence. Coming into Friday’s doubleheader, Alcala was struggling offensively to score runs and to get on base.

Alcala said she didn’t hit the home run until the she looked up when she was on second base.

“I heard shouting and clapping and I looked over to see that I hit a home run,” Alcala said. “It feels great to finally get my first one as a Hornet.”

In the first game, Sac State jumped to an early 6-0 lead after two innings following the three-run home run by Martinez. Head coach Lori Perez said she knew it was gone when it left Martinez’s bat.

“It was a huge hit, it was a no-doubt about it homerun when it left her bat,” Perez said. “The home run helped lift us to a whole new level in scoring runs and how we took more chances.”

The Hornets would add three more runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The six run cushion was enough for junior pitcher Caitlin Brooks.

She allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on 12 hits and four strikeouts as Sac State won the game 9-3.

In game two of the doubleheader, the Hornets scored all five of its runs in the second and third innings. Unfortunately for Sac State, the Bengals would chip away at the lead as it tied it up at five in the bottom of the fifth as Idaho batted around, scoring four runs.

A crucial walk in the fifth scored the tying run and changed the momentum of the game.

Perez said she never complains about a call an umpire makes, but she said that senior pitcher Taylor Stroud was robbed in the fifth inning.

“Quite honestly, the umpires blew a called third strike that was down the middle and belt high,” Perez said. “It gave them another run instead of us keeping the lead going into the sixth inning.”

In the bottom of the seventh, Idaho State won in walk-off fashion, with one swing of the bat as shortstop Hailey Breakwall belted a ball over the right-field fence to win the second game, 6-5.

The Hornets (19-17, 7-3) and Bengals (22-16, 5-3) will play the rubber match on Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho. First pitch is at noon.