PORTLAND -- Sacramento State broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run sixth inning, and cruised to a 5-1 win at Portland State on Saturday afternoon at Gordon Faber Field.

The win completed an impressive three-game road sweep against a Portland State team that entered the week in second place, one game back of Sacramento State. After sweeping all three games, including a doubleheader yesterday, the Hornets now have a commanding hold atop the Big Sky Conference with a 26-14 overall record and 10-2 mark in league.

Sacramento State's magic number is down to one to win the Big Sky regular season title, and gain the No. 1 seed at the Big Sky Tournament in Ogden, Utah (May 10-13). The Hornets close Big Sky regular season play next week with a three-game home series vs. Idaho State, and need to win just one of those games to clinch the regular season championship. That would also allow Sacramento State to host next year's Big Sky Tournament.

During the sweep, the Hornets dominated Portland State (15-22, 6-6), outscoring the Vikings, 18-2, over three games. Sacramento State's pitching staff posted a 0.37 ERA with just 11 hits allowed in 19.0 innings. Portland State hit .164, which included Marissa Bertuccio throwing a no-hitter yesterday. During the series, the Hornets used Caroline Evans (1-0, 0.00 ERA), Bertuccio (1-0, SV, 0.00 ERA) and Savannah Wahl (1-0, 1.40 ERA).

In today's game, Wahl worked the first five innings to earn the win, while Bertuccio pitched the final two to snag her second save of the season.

The bats were alive and well in the series, as Sacramento State hit .329 (27-for-82) with a .421 on-base percentage and 16 RBIs. Jada Walker and Gwen Ludwig both had five hits in the series, and in the process, Walker improved her hitting streak to six games while Ludwig now has a five gamer. Evans finished the series with four hits (three doubles), three walks and a .700 on-base percentage. Carley Morfey finished with four hits, including a game-high three today.

In today's contest, both teams scored a run in the first inning, and the score remained tied at 1-1 until the Hornets scored three times in the sixth and once in the seventh. In that sixth inning, the Hornets had three runs on three hits, highlighted by RBI-singles from Walker and Morfey. Walker would add another RBI-single in the seventh.

Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score, as Sacramento State left 10 runners on base, and Portland State stranded nine. In fact, the Vikings left at least one runner on base in every inning except the fourth, including multiple runners aboard in the second, fifth and sixth innings.

The Hornets' three-game series with Idaho State will take place on Saturday and Sunday of next week, different from the typical Friday-Saturday conference matchups. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday at noon, followed by a single game Sunday at noon. Prior to Sunday's game, Hornet seniors Amber Rodriguez, Rylee Gresham, Nevaeh Pinon and Morfey will be honored for their contributions to the program.