Big Sky Conference standings

CEDAR CITY, Utah — Sacramento State scored in five different innings, putting up season highs in runs (13) and doubles (4) as the Hornets defeated Southern Utah, 13-11, in the final game of a three-game Big Sky Conference softball series on Saturday afternoon at Kathryn Berg Field.

In addition, true freshman Suzy Brookshire clubbed two more home runs, and now has 13 this year, the most in Sacramento State single-season history. The previous record of 12, was set in 2008 by former four-time first team all-league selection Jamie Schloredt. Perhaps even more impressive is Brookshire set the record with six games remaining on the team's regular season schedule. All told, Brookshire hit three homers in the series and now has six against Big Sky opposition.

The win allowed the Hornets (15-25-1, 5-9) to salvage the final game of the three-game set as Southern Utah (13-24, 9-6) swept a doubleheader over the Hornets yesterday. The two teams combined for 51 runs in the series and the Thunderbirds notched at least eight runs in all three games.

With just six games remaining in the regular season, the Hornets are currently in a three-way tie for fifth place with Idaho State and North Dakota (each is 5-9). The top six teams in the eight-member league qualify for the Big Sky Championship on May 11-13, making today's win a big one. Of Sacramento State's final six games, three will come at home and three will be on the road. The Hornets' final three home games will take place next week in a three-game series against Northern Colorado on Friday and Saturday. Northern Colorado sits in fourth place with a 7-8 conference mark.

Sacramento State had 15 hits today, and six different Hornets had multiple-hit games. That included Brookshire going 2-for-3 with three runs, two homers and three RBIs, Mo Spieth 2-for-5 with two runs, Jessica Ravetti 2-for-4 with a run and double, Traci Shaw 2-for-5 with a run and double, Shelby Johnston 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs and Nikki Gialketsis 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Eight of the Hornets' nine starters had at least one hit.

Six different pitchers were used in today's game, including Sacramento State throwing Taylor Tessier (3.2 ip), Celina Matthias (0.1 ip) and Danielle Sperry (3.0 ip). Sperry, who is a true freshman, got the win, improving to 4-6 while allowing just two runs during the final three innings. The seventh inning wasn't easy as Southern Utah scored twice and had the bases loaded with two outs, before Sperry got Megan Reed to line out to left field to end the game.

The Hornets scored five times in the first inning and two more in the second to take what seemed like a commanding 7-0 lead. However, Southern Utah bounced back with a six-run fourth inning, and eventually tied the game at 9-9 after five innings. Sacramento State, though, would score three times in the sixth and once more in the seventh.

The Hornets finished the game batting .500 (8-for-16) with runners in scoring position and .385 (5-for-13) with two outs. That included five two-out RBIs, including a pair from Gialketsis. Eight different Hornets had a hit with runners in scoring position and Johnston was a perfect 3-for-3 in RBI opportunities with a runner at third base with less than two outs.

In the first inning, Gialketsis' two-out, two-run single capped off a five-run frame, and the Hornets would later add two more in the second on a homer from Brookshire and sacrifice fly from Johnston.

The Hornets were then held scoreless the next two innings while Southern Utah scored six times in the bottom of the fourth. In that inning, the Thunderbirds had six runs on four hits and sent nine batters to the plate, punctuated by a two-run homer from Nicole Simonson.

After a two-run homer from Brookshire gave the Hornets a 9-6 lead in the top of the fifth, Southern Utah again responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie things at 9-9.

Sacramento State, however, received RBI-singles from Johnston and Zamari Hinton, and an RBI-double from Sydnee Strong to reclaim a 12-9 lead in the sixth. The Hornets added an insurance run in the seventh on a two-out, RBI-double from Sydney Rasmussen scoring pinch runner Rylee Sager.

All three Southern Utah pitchers allowed at least three runs, and it was Hanna Wall (0-2) taking the loss, yielding three runs and five hits in 1.2 innings.