Big Sky Conference standings

GREELEY, Colo. -- Sacramento State combined for 19 runs and 26 hits over two games in a softball doubleheader sweep of Northern Colorado on Friday afternoon at the Butler-Hancock Softball Field.

The Hornets won the first game by an 11-7 score before posting a come-from-behind 8-5 win in the nightcap.

With the sweep, Sacramento State improved to 17-15 overall and 7-1 in the Big Sky. In addition, the sweep allowed the Hornets to keep pace with Weber State, which also improved to 7-1 in league play after sweeping a doubleheader today at Southern Utah. Northern Colorado dropped to 4-26 overall and 0-8 in the conference.

Sacramento State's 7-1 conference record matches the team's best mark after eight league games since the Big Sky began sponsoring softball prior to the 2013 season. Last year's Hornet squad also began the year 7-1 before eventually finishing in second place with a 15-6 Big Sky record.

During the doubleheader, the Hornets hit .406 (26-for-64) with four doubles, six stolen bases, a home run and 17 RBIs. They also slugged .516, had an on-base percentage of .465, and hit .469 (15-for-32) with runners in scoring position. Sydney Rasmussen combined for six hits in the doubleheader, Sasha Margulies had five hits, Natalie Alas four hits, and Kailey Olcott and Jessica Ravetti both combined for three hits. In fact, Rasmussen got on base via hit or walk in each of her first seven plate appearances of the doubleheader, and stole four bases. Of the Hornets' 17 RBIs today, 11 of them came with two outs in the inning.

Margulies had multiple-hit games in both contests, and improved her hitting streak to nine games. During that nine-game span, she is hitting a robust .633 (19-for-30) with eight runs scored, two home runs, nine RBIs and an .867 slugging percentage.

GAME 1

Sacramento State pounded out a season-high 15 hits as the Hornets had hits in every inning but the fifth. The Hornets put up crooked numbers in the second (4), third (2) and fourth (4) innings while also tacking on an additional run in the seventh. That included five-hit innings in the second and the fourth.

Sacramento State received big games from Rasmussen (4-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs), Margulies (3-for-4 with a run, walk and two RBIs), Alas (3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs) and Ravetti (2-for-5 with a run). Rasmussen also had three stolen bases, and Shelby Johnston tacked on a stolen base and three runs scored. Kortney Solis reached base safely in three of her four plate appearances, going 1-for-2 with a walk, hit-by-pitch and two runs scored.

Rasmussen's four hits were the most by a Hornet this season and tied the Sacramento State Div. I era (1990-pres.) single game record for most hits in a game. Four hits in a single game have now been accomplished by a Hornet on 26 occasions (both Margulies and Alexa Chattleton had four hits last season).
Sacramento State never trailed the entire way as Northern Colorado used a three-run bottom of the second inning to get within, 4-3 of the Hornets' lead, but the Bears would get no closer.

The second inning was highlighted by RBI-singles from Alas and Margulies as well as a two-run single from Rasmussen. In the fourth inning, Sacramento State scored all four of its runs with two outs, comprised of four RBI-singles from Johnston, Alas, Rasmussen and Margulies, respectively.

Celina Matthias (11-9) got the win, pitching all seven innings while recording three strikeouts. For Northern Colorado, Kelli Kleis (0-9) picked up the loss, allowing 11 hits and 10 runs (nine earned) in 3.2 innings of work.

GAME 2

Sacramento State erased a 4-1 deficit with a massive seven-run fifth-inning that saw the Hornets score all seven runs after two outs had been recorded. The big blow and the capper on the inning was a three-run homer from Olcott, her third round tripper in 42 at-bats this season. The rest of the Sacramento State squad has five home runs in 808 at-bats.

After Hornet pitchers Taylor Tessier and Savanna Corr combined to walk eight batters through the first four innings of the game, Matthias calmed things down by allowing just one run while walking one and striking out three over the final three innings of the game. Sacramento State used three pitchers, while Corr (3-2) got the win and Matthias picked up her fifth save of the season.

The Hornets had scored just one run through the first four innings of the game and saw Northern Colorado take advantage of numerous free passes to take a 4-1 lead after four innings. That included a three-run bottom of the fourth inning the Bears began with two walks and an infield single.

During Sacramento State's fifth inning, Bear starter Jayme Reddacliff retired two of the first three batters she faced. However, the Hornets would then send seven straight batters to the plate as Alas had an RBI-single, Margulies an RBI-single, Ravetti a two-run double and Olcott capped things by driving a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run blast which scored Ravetti and Margulies.

Northern Colorado had the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning, but Matthias was able to get Adeline Coldiron to ground out and end the game.

Rasmussen, Zamari Hinton, Margulies and Olcott all had two hits. Olcott (3), Margulies (2) and Ravetti (2) combined to drive in seven of the Hornets' eight runs.

Corr, who took over for starter Taylor Tessier and worked 2.1 innings, got the win and improved to 3-2 this season. Matthias allowed one run and five hits over the final three innings to earn her fifth save of the season. The five saves are one shy of the Sacramento State Div. I era single-season record of six, set by Brittani Clifford in 2008.