POCATELLO, Idaho -- Portland State scored runs in all but two innings on the way to a 9-7 victory over Sacramento State in the Big Sky Conference Tournament Friday evening at Miller Ranch Stadium.

The Hornets, who finished 2-2 at the tournament, see their Big Sky Tourney run and season come to an end. Sacramento State (28-20 overall) won its first two games, but fell in two very close contests today. The Hornets needed just one win today to reach tomorrow's championship game, but lost to Northern Colorado this morning (9-8), followed by this afternoon's 9-7 loss to Portland State.

All four tournament games for Sacramento State were decided by two runs or less, including a 7-5 win over Montana on Wednesday, and 6-5 victory against host Idaho State on Thursday.
Usually a stout component of Sacramento State's winning ways, the pitching staff yielded a 6.22 ERA over four games. Offensively, the Hornets scored at least six runs in all four contests while hitting .362 (46-for-127) with nine doubles, four home runs, 25 RBIs and a .393 on-base percentage.

After allowing five runs or more just 13 times through the first 44 games of the season, Sacramento State allowed 5+ runs in all four tournament contests.

Andrea Lira was incredible during the Big Sky Tournament, batting .688 (11-for-16) with six runs, three doubles and three RBIs. That included a three-game stretch in which she had a hit in nine straight at-bats. Lewa Day hit .600 (9-for-15) with five runs, two doubles, two homers and six RBIs. Katie Marsh had two homers and six RBIs, and three additional Sacramento State players hit at least .400 during the tourney -  Gwen Ludwig (.467), Alexis Parish (.400) and Nikki Barboza (.400).

In today's game, Portland State jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings (including a three-run first) before the Hornets chipped away with a run in the fourth, and four more in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead. During that fifth inning, the Hornets had four hits, highlighted by a Day RBI-single, Lira RBI-double and Barboza sacrifice fly.

However, the Vikings responded with two runs in bottom of the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a 9-5 lead. Like Sacramento State did in its loss to Northern Colorado this morning, the Hornets mounted a seventh inning comeback. That included an RBI-grounder from Samantha Parish and RBI-single from Barboza. Sacramento State had the potential tying runners aboard with two outs, but Portland State pitcher Grace Kimball got a strikeout to end the game.

Kimball (13-9) registered the win despite allowing 11 hits and seven runs (five earned) over seven innings. The Hornets used two pitchers, and Marissa Bertuccio (14-9) took the loss in relief. The Vikings scored five runs over the final two innings, but only two of those were earned as a huge Hornet throwing error resulted in three PSU runs.

Sacramento State finished the game with 11 hits, including two apiece from Ludwig, Lira, Alexis Parish and Barboza. It was Barboza that had three of the Hornets' six RBIs.

Lira, Day and Alexis Parish hit safely in all four games of the tournament, while Marsh hit safely in each of the three games she appeared.

The Hornets' 28-20 record is the team's most games above .500 finish since the 2018 squad went 31-20.