Sacramento State softball opened up its last home series today, splitting a doubleheader against the Weber State University Wildcats.

Both teams entered the doubleheader tied for second place in the Big Sky Conference. Sac State had a conference record of 10-5, and Weber State had a record of 9-4.

Sac State took the win in the first game during the bottom of the seventh inning. The score remained 0-0 until Zamari Hinton hit a groundball to score Nicole Clark.

“We have to do this for the team and I refused to get out,” Hinton said regarding her at-bat.

The Hornets had two outs with Hinton at bat, and an error from Weber State’s first baseman allowed Clark to score and Hinton to remain safe.

Entering the seventh inning, each team had a total of three hits. Hits for Sac State included Alexa Chattleton and Paige Martin with singles and one double from Sasha Margulies.

Throwing a three-hit shutout in the first game was pitcher Caitlin Brooks. She struck out five batters straight twice in today’s game, the last five being the final pitches of the game for the Hornets. She had three walks and 13 strikeouts, just three shy from her personal best at Sac State.

Brooks said her performance today came from switching up her pitches more often than usual.

In today’s second game, which Sac State lost 9-5, the Hornets started out strong after Weber State scored first in the first inning, and the Hornets came back in the bottom of the first to take the lead 2-1.

Shelby Johnston and Alexis Martinez both recorded an RBI in the first inning.

Sac State was not able to keep the lead after pitcher Kaitlyn Yerby gave up a home run in the top of the second inning to tie the game.

Yerby gave up three more runs in the top of the fourth inning before Celina Matthias relieved her.

The Hornets closed the gap on Weber State in the fifth inning with two-out RBI singles from Martinez and Clark to score Martin and Margulies home.

Margulies’ single in the fifth inning extended her hitting streak to 12 games. She is currently tied for the sixth-longest streak in the Hornets’ Division I era.

Sac State let its gap expand against the Wildcats in the bottom of the sixth inning after Matthias gave up three RBIs. There was an unearned run as well with an error from Martin, making the score 9-4.

Johnston hit an RBI single in the sixth inning to score Hinton. The rally ended there, however, after Martinez grounded into a double play, ending the inning.

The Hornets were not able to make a comeback in the seventh inning, and fell to the Wildcats by a final score of 9-5.

Sac State coach Lori Perez believed that execution on the mound today was what made it and broke it for them today.

“In the first game we had execution on the mound to keep us in the ball game long enough to get our single run, and our second game we didn’t execute our pitches on the mound and that allowed them to score more runs, and unfortunately we weren’t able to catch back up,” Perez said.

The two teams will play their final game of the series tomorrow at noon at Shea Stadium for the Hornets’ last game at home, as well as to commemorate the seniors for senior day.