SACRAMENTO -- Right-hander Danyelle Leone threw 5.1 innings innings of sparkling relief to lead Sacramento State to a 5-1 victory over Northern Colorado on Saturday afternoon at Shea Stadium.

The win gave the Hornets (20-18, 6-3) a three-game sweep of Northern Colorado (12-27, 3-6) as Sacramento State won both games of a doubleheader yesterday. In the process, the Hornets moved into second place in the Big Sky Conference standings with just six league games remaining.

Idaho State (8-1) sits alone in first place as the Bengals swept a three-game series from Weber State, while the Hornets are just two games behind. That one Idaho State loss came at the hands of Sacramento State two weeks ago.

The Hornets have now won four straight, and seven of the last eight games. The team went 4-0 at home this week, including a 3-2 victory over Fresno State on Tuesday.

In today's victory, Leone came on in relief, and was impressive in the circle. She entered in the second inning with the bases loaded and two outs, and quickly dispatched of leadoff hitter Katie Walling to end the inning.

The right-hander proceeded to throw 5.1 innings of relief, allowing just two hits and one run with a walk and three strikeouts. She retired 13 of the final 14 batters of the game with the only blemish coming on a solo homer from Amailee Morales - her 12th of the season. Leone needed just 69 pitches to get through 5.1 innings, and 43 of those were strikes.

Sacramento State scored all five runs in the third inning despite just two hits as the Hornets benefited from a pair of Bear errors. The big offensive blows in the inning were sacrifice flies from Madison Evers-Lyles and Alexa Carino, and a two-run single from Malissa George. On that two-run single, Katie Marsh displayed high IQ base running, scoring all the way from first base.

The two teams combined for five hits (SAC 3, NC 2), and the Hornet knocks came from George, Marsh and Addy Buckley. Jenna Birch had a walk and run scored. Evers-Lyles had the Hornets' lone extra base hit, a double to the left-center field wall in the first inning.

Sacramento State plays four times next week, beginning with a non-conference game at Pacific on Wednesday (makeup for an earlier game that was rained out) before hosting Weber State for a three-game set. The Hornets and Wildcats will play a doubleheader on Friday at Shea Stadium, and a single game on Saturday.