Sacramento State avoided a sweep to start Big Sky Conference play going 1-2 in its home series against the visiting Idaho State Bengals. The Hornet offense couldn’t get around the diamond, only producing three runs across the series.
Friday: Idaho State 7, Sac State 1
The series started off sour for the Hornets in game one, as the only run was a homer from sophomore first baseman Malissa George, who blasted the shot over left center field in the second inning.
George’s home run was the offense’s lone bright spot in the game which they lost with only three total hits.
Sac State let the game get out of control in the third inning as a surge of Idaho State baserunners crossed home plate. The Benagls scored five times in just the third.
More of the same occurred in the following innings. A single to right field and a fielding error by the Hornets sealed their defeat.
The Hornets lacked the ability to put the ball in play, totaling just one run compared to the Bengals’ seven in the 7-1 loss.
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Friday: Idaho State 9, Sac State 0
In the second of this doubleheader, more of the same Hornet mistakes reared their heads.
Sac State put up a donut with no runs scored, but made better contact with the ball, still unable to compete with seven hits compared to the Bengals 11.
The Bengals scored early on with aggressive at bats that turned into two runs..
In the second, a 2-run home run by the Bengals extended their lead, and issues in the fielding department led to two unearned runs, extending the deficit to 6-0.
More misfortune put Sac State to bed as a 3-run home run by Idaho State in the sixth put an end to any comeback.
The team’s offense fell flat this game and minimal fielding on defense ultimately led to the 9-0 shutout loss.
After the loss head coach Lori Perez said they had what they needed to pull off a win after two tough losses.
“The goal is to have you pitching your defense and your hitting, running all cylinders,” Perez said. “That’s not always gonna be the case, but I’m sure we will bounce back.”
Saturday: Idaho State 1, Sac State 2
After experiencing a set of bad losses, the Hornets looked to finish the series on a positive note.
Sac State scored early in the first with an RBI single from George. The next inning, a wild pitch play sent senior third baseman Nikki Barboza home to add on a run.
The Hornets out-hit the Bengals seven to six in this game and locked in defensively, allowing only one run to secure a win.
The pitchers were in sync for the Hornets, as senior pitcher Caroline Evans and sophomore pitcher Alexa Ortiz each had three strikeouts.
The defense shined, with senior catcher Katie Marsh and the second and third baseman earning a double play to stifle the Bengals while the bases were loaded.
“The bases were loaded, the tensions were high. AO put a really good pitch,” Marsh said. “The hitter hit it right back to her and we were able to turn a one, two, three double play. It was really special for her, especially coming off of that super tough inning.”
Ortiz closed the game out in the sixth inning with a strikeout to secure the 2-1 win.
“Tensions were high, my hands were numb. I was just over the moon. I was just really proud of my team for having my back,” Ortiz said. “I used that to just attack each batter and just get at it.”
Perez sid the Hornets did a better job of being in the right positions and fielding the ball in the final game.
“I’m extremely proud of how we took care of business,” Perez said. “That’s the kind of defense that we need to have in order to be successful and make a run at trying to win a conference championship.”
The Hornets are 14-17 on the season and will hit the road for a series at Portland State on Friday starting at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
