Sacramento State (11-8) competed in the Capital Classic this weekend at Shea Stadium and La Rue Field, where they went 5-0  to improve to 11-8 on the season.

The Hornets kicked off the Capital Classic against Dixie State University (6-12) on Friday at Shea Stadium, where the Hornets won 2-1.

On Saturday, the Hornets traveled to UC Davis and played in a double-header at La Rue Field. They beat the Dixie State Trailblazers in their first game 7-2.

In the second game of the double-header, the Hornets faced causeway rival UC Davis (6-11) and beat the Aggies 2-1.

On the final day of the Capital Classic, the Hornets had another double-header on Sunday at Shea Stadium. They beat the Trailblazers for the third time this weekend 7-1 before beating the Aggies 3-2 in walk-off fashion. 

“It felt incredible (to sweep the weekend), we had a really tough week at practice and we worked really hard and felt frustrated with our performance last week in terms of execution so we really came together this week and I think you see the product on the field,” head coach Lori Perez said. “I’m extremely proud of our effort and our team effort.”

Lexie Webb’s clutch homer leads to a 2-1 victory over the Trailblazers

Junior pitcher Marissa Bertuccio (7-1) got her fourth win of the season as she started in the first game of the Capital Classic. She threw her fourth complete game of the season while striking out nine batters and allowing just one run. 

The Trailblazers were able to strike first in the top of the third inning with a single and a double to score one run, which put the score at 1-0. 

The Hornets came right back at the Trailblazers in their half of the inning. Junior third baseman Lewa Day singled to right field and was able to advance to third base on an error as junior left fielder Samantha Parish singled to right field to score Day and tie the game at 1-1. 

Sophomore Lexie Webb broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo homer to center field putting the Hornets up 2-1 going into the final inning.

Bertuccio shut the door to secure the Hornets’ seventh win of the season. 

Gallery • 4 Photos

Spencer Fielding

Lewa Day dances home against Dixie State after her second home run of the day at Shea Stadium on March 6, 2022. Day had a huge weekend as she had eight hits and two home runs.

Webb’s homer and complete game leads to Hornets 7-2 victory 

Webb (2-3) got the start in the circle for the second game of the Capital Classic. Her complete game led the Hornets to victory and her second win of the season. She allowed two runs, one earned, and five hits on the day.

The Hornets drew first blood in the top of the first inning, and never looked back Samantha Parish slapped a single to second base while junior outfielder Carley Morfey smashed a two-run homer over the center-field wall to push the Hornets lead 2-0. 

The Trailblazers answered in the first inning with a walk and a fielder’s choice to score one run and put the score at 2-1. 

Day led the top of the fifth inning off with a single through the left side. Webb helped her own cause with a shot over the center-field wall for a two-run homer, for her seventh home run of the season which stretched the lead 4-1 for the Hornets.

The Trailblazers responded with a home run of their own, to cut the lead 4-2, but the Hornets killed any hope of a Trailblazer comeback with a huge final inning.

The Hornets connected on four straight singles, which led to two runs. A wild pitch scored the final run to extend the lead 7-2 as the Hornets won handily. 

Hornets defeat rival Aggies in narrow 2-1 victory

Bertuccio got her second start of the Capital Classic and her fifth win of the season. She threw another complete game, allowing just four hits, and one unearned run while striking out six Aggies.

The Hornets scored all of their runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Mejia smacked a double down the left-field line followed by  Junior catcher Amber Rodriguez who punched a two-run homer to left-center field to put the score at 2-0.

The Aggies attempted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn’t enough as Sac State won 2-1. 

“Marissa from the moment she’s taken any pitches from the circle for us from freshman year,”  Perez said. ”She’s been a competitor, she works really hard, she seizes the moment, takes chances and she’s a leader on the mound, that’s the big piece of it.” 

Lewa Day’s two homers lifted the Hornets over the Trailblazers in a 7-1 win

Bertuccio got the start for the fourth game of the Capital Classic. She went on to throw her third complete game of the weekend, allowing just one run and seven hits. She also struck out nine batters on the day.

Mejia slapped a single to left field to lead off the second inning. Rodriguez reached first on a fielder’s choice and advanced the runner due to an error. Sophomore outfielder Alexis Parish connected with a single up the middle to score two runs to put the score at 2-0.

The Trailblazers responded in the top of the third inning with three hits and one run, to cut the lead 2-1.

Webb smacked a solo shot to left-center field to extend the lead 3-1. 

To lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, Day hit a solo shot to center field to push the lead to 4-1.

Day again stepped up to the plate and struck her second homer of the game, and her sixth of the season to extend the lead to 7-1 going into the final frame.

Bertuccio killed the Trailblazer’s hopes of a comeback with a dominant performance in a three-up three-down inning. The Hornets held on to win 7-1 and improve to 10-8 on the season, extending their winning streak to four games. 

Lewa Day walks it off against the rival Aggies 3-2

Webb got the start for the fifth and final game of the Capital Classic where she pitched in five innings, allowing four hits, two runs, and one earned run. She also struck out three Aggies on the day. 

The Aggies struck first in the top of the fifth inning. They were able to score on a hit and an error to gain the lead 1-0. 

The Hornets finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Morfey smacked a double to left-center field to lead off the inning. A Mejia ground out and a Rodriguez fielder’s choice tied the game as three straight singles led to an opportunity for Day with the bases loaded. She stayed patient and drew a walk to bring a run home, to gain the lead for the Hornets 2-1.

The Aggies were able to tie the game up in the top of the sixth inning with two singles and a walk to make the score 2-2.

Going into the final inning the score was knotted at two. The Hornets’ hopes of winning were placed on Day as she stepped into the batter’s box to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. In a 1-2 count, Day singled to left field to score Sophomore Kennedy Echols to send the Hornets’ crowd home happy after earning their fifth straight win and their 11th win of the season 3-2.

“We needed that sweep for sure, we just had something to prove, honestly, it was just nice to see us finally do it, and show that we have all three cylinders, defense, pitching, and fielding, and the cherry on top that it was Davis,” Day said.

The Hornets will be back in action next weekend at the Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton tournament with their first game against the University of Nebraska on Friday at 12 p.m.