Sacramento State, fresh off four straight non-conference losses, blew off some steam in a 10-2 rout of visiting Columbia. The team swung the bat well with 10 hits, 10 runs and eight different Hornets scoring.
Sac State opened it up with senior catcher Katie Marsh stealing home in the first. Columbia responded with two runs of their own in the first and third, but that was all they could muster once Sac State started rolling.
On the pitching side, Sac State’s junior pitcher Alexa Ortiz was dealing. Ortiz used only 29 pitches to retire six batters and had two shutout innings to effectively control the game.
In the third, the Hornet offense exploded off a grand slam by junior outfielder Lafulafu Malepeai to start the engine. The team ran the bases rapidly, finishing with five stolen bases throughout the game to bludgeon Columbia.
Malepeai finished the game with five RBIs, two runs scored and one home run providing the spark needed to get this convincing win.
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“I just knew to keep it simple,” Malepeai said. “I knew that we needed runs and basically had to make adjustments for my last at-bats, and it was a great feeling to be able to get the lead at that point.”
GRAND SLAM! Malepeai crushes a shot well over the left-center field wall! Hornets take a 5-2 lead over Columbia in the 3rd #StingersUp pic.twitter.com/KU70xxkPWE
— Sacramento State Softball (@SacStSoftball) March 18, 2025
Marsh, who scored the initial points of the game after being brought in from third, said it was important for her to get on base to set up future runs.
“Getting on base today was really important for me,” Marsh said. “When my teammates scored me by hitting so far up in the lineup, that’s kind of my job to finish. I was able to do that and get on base and then let the girls get some RBIs to drive me in.”
Capitalizing off base hits was a vital part of the team’s success, the team had 10 RBIs. Finishing innings that ultimately helped lead them to victory.
Sac State head coach Lori Perez said she was proud of how her team bounced back after being outscored by 31 runs over the course of their previous four games.
“The girls had a tough stint, obviously, the last four games,” Perez said. “Our team put in the work and practice to be ready to really get after it today, and you see the result of that when hard work and confidence come together.’’
Sac State now sits at 13-12 on the season and looks to defend their diamond versus Loyola Marymount in a 3-game series that begins at home on Saturday at noon.
