MORAGA, Calif. — Sacramento State's offense combined for nine runs and 17 hits, and the pitching staff allowed three runs over 14 innings as the Hornets swept a pair of games on the first day of the Saint Mary's Tournament at Cottrell Field.

The Hornets won the first game of the day over host Saint Mary's, 6-1, before coming back two hours later to defeat Seattle, 3-2. Sacramento State wraps up the two-day, four-game tournament tomorrow against the same two teams at 10 a.m. (vs. Seattle) and 2 p.m. (against Saint Mary's).

The Hornets were flawless in the field today in 64 total chances (42 putouts, 22 assists), and used four pitchers to the tune of a 1.50 team ERA. Sophomore right-hander Celina Matthias (3-3) picked up the win in both games, going six innings in a start against Saint Mary's, and tossing three perfect innings of relief vs. Seattle.

Offensively, senior Sasha Margulies went 4-for-7 today with three runs scored, a double and an RBI. Natalie Alas added three hits and six different Sacramento State players had at least two hits.

The Hornets improved to 4-7 overall while Saint Mary's dropped to 3-9 and Seattle 4-9.

VS. SAINT MARY'S

Matthias was impressive in her third start of the season, allowing the Gaels just four hits and one run while walking none and striking out three over six innings of work. She faced just three batters over the minimum and threw 84 pitches. Savanna Corr pitched a scoreless seventh inning to close out the victory.

The Hornets scored in each of the first three innings of the game, including one in both the first and second innings, and two more in the third. The two runs in the third marked the first time all season that Sacramento State has scored in the third inning.

Sacramento State got on the board in the first inning after Margulies' two-out single drove home Alas. The Hornets tacked on another in the second when Zamari Hinton connected on a sacrifice fly to left center, allowing Kortney Solis to score.

Sacramento State broke things open in the third inning, when, after Margulies and Sydney Rasmussen had back-to-back one-out singles, Jessica Ravetti eventually drove both home with a double to left field.

Meanwhile, Matthias was cruising along and had allowed just one runner past first base during the first five innings of the game. The Gaels finally broke through in the sixth inning when a wild pitch helped allow Erica Musgrave to score.

The Hornets tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh after an error allowed Ravetti to score and Kayla Papez connected on an RBI-single, scoring Solis for the second time in the game.

For Sacramento State, Alas (2-for-4 with a run), Hinton (2-for-4 with an RBI), Margulies (2-for-3 with a walk, run an an RBI) and Papez (2-for-4 with an RBI) all had multiple-hit games. Saint Mary's Katie Moss (2-4) got the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned) over three innings.

VS. SEATTLE

In a game that was deadlocked at 2-2 after six innings, Sacramento State scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh when a throwing error from Seattle shortstop Maddy Kristjanson allowed Margulies to score. After the first two outs of the inning were recorded, Redhawk starter Andie Larkins allowed an infield single to Margulies followed by a walk to Nikki Gialketsis. Rasmussen then hit a ground ball that Kristjanson threw wildly to first base, allowing Margulies to score all the way from second base.

Matthias tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh inning to preserve the win. In fact, Matthias threw three perfect innings of relief, retiring all nine batters she faced with four strikeouts. She needed just 30 pitches in her three innings of work, and Seattle hit just one ball past the infield.

The Hornets scored the first two runs in the top of the second inning when Ravetti's one-out single drove home both Margulies and Rasmussen. Margulies began the inning with a double and was sacrificed to third base, before Rasmussen walked and eventually stole second.

Seattle scored once in the bottom of the second inning, and once more in the fourth on a Paige Bouska RBI-single to tie things at 2-2. The Redhawks would strand seven runners on base during the first four innings, including the bases loaded in the second. Seattle had a runner thrown out at the plate in the second inning when, after fielding a ground ball, Rasmussen threw out pinch runner Erika Rodgers at the plate.

Kaitlyn Yerby started the game for Sacramento State and lasted three innings before Taylor Tessier worked the fourth, and Matthias worked her magic the rest of the way. Margulies finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs, and Ravetti had a pair of RBIs.

Larkins (4-4) got the loss, allowing six hits and three runs (two earned) over seven innings.