FRESNO, Calif. -- Sacramento State dropped two games on the second day of the Fresno State Softball Kick-Off, falling to Kansas, 9-0, and UC Riverside, 7-4. The game against Kansas was stopped after five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.

With the losses, Sacramento State fell to 0-4 at the tournament and 2-6 overall this season. The Hornets, who lost to UC Riverside and 24th-ranked Fresno State yesterday, return to action tomorrow to conclude the tournament against host Fresno State at 2 p.m.

Kansas improved to 4-4 with the victory while UC Riverside moved its record to 6-5.

VS. UC RIVERSIDE

In a scoreless game through four innings, both teams combined to plate 11 runs during the final three frames. Sacramento State, which never held a lead, tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, and tied things again in the sixth inning at 3-3.

However, UC Riverside scored four times in the seventh inning to break things open. The Highlanders' Madeline Richard finished the game 5-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, and accounted for nearly half of her team's 11 hits.

After the Highlanders scored twice in the top of the fifth, the Hornets matched in the bottom half of the inning via RBI-single from Zamari Hinton and a perfectly executed sacrifice squeeze bunt from Kayla Papez which scored Marissa Maligad from third base. The Hornets had three hits in the inning, including knocks from Sydney Rasmussen and Maligad to put runners at first and second with one out.

The Highlanders used a Hornet error to score an unearned run in the sixth only to see Rasmussen respond in the bottom of the inning with a two-out single to score Nikki Gialketsis from second base.

UC Riverside, however, had a big inning against Hornet starter Celina Matthias in the top of the seventh, scoring four times on five hits. An Alexis Lockwood one-out, RBI-double got the scoring started, and Haley Harris capped things with a two-out, two-run single as part of her three-RBI day.

Sacramento State did push across a run in the bottom of the seventh on Shelby Johnston's two-out, RBI-double which scored Papez but that concluded the scoring for the Hornets. Hinton, Johnston and Rasmussen all had two hits for the Hornets.

Matthias (1-2) pitched all seven innings in the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) and 11 hits. Sacramento State's two runs in the fifth snapped a steak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings for the Hornet offense. UC Riverside's Tayler Misfeldt (5-3) picked up the win in relief, allowing a run and a hit in 1.1 innings. Kaylynn Pierce worked the first 5.2 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits.

VS. KANSAS

Kansas starter Ania Williams (2-0) tossed a one-hit shutout, facing just two batters over the minimum in her five innings of work. Williams walked none, struck out two and worked around an error. Sacramento State's lone hit came from Jessica Ravetti with one out in the second inning.

Meanwhile, Kansas' offense was impressive, pounding out nine run on nine hits against Sacramento State left-hander Kaitlyn Yerby (0-3). Of those nine runs, just five were earned as the Jayhawks took advantage of three Hornet errors. Seven Kansas players hit safely in the game, including Chaley Brickey who went 2-for-3 with two runs, a double and three RBIs. Danielle Chavez went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Erin McGinley scored twice and drove in a pair.

Sacramento State did not advance a runner past second base the entire game, and only put a runner in scoring position in the second and fifth innings.