MISSOULA, Mont. -- Sacramento State combined for 26 runs, 29 hits and eight home runs on the way to a doubleheader sweep at Montana on Friday afternoon at Grizzly Softball Field. After winning the first game, 16-7, in five innings, the Hornets took the nightcap by a 10-1 score.
Sacramento State (24-21, 9-5) has now 11 of its last 15 games. More importantly, the Hornets got some help today from Northern Colorado which beat Weber State (8-6). That moved the Hornets into sole possession of second place above Weber State with just one conference game remaining.
The Hornets wrap up their three-game series at Montana tomorrow at 11 a.m. PT, and need either a win in that game OR a Weber State loss to Northern Colorado to clinch second place and the all-important first round bye at the Big Sky Tournament (May 6-9 in Greeley, Colo.). Idaho State will be the No. 1 seed and already secured the other bye.
Among the multitude of crooked numbers in today's games included a nine-run second and five-run fifth in Game 1, followed by a seven-run seventh in Game 2. In the process, Sacramento State now has a program-record 56 home runs, which surpasses the previous mark of 55, set during the 2022 season. The 56 homers are also 33 more than the Hornets had all of last season when they have a veteran-laden squad.
The Hornets had three players hit multiple home runs today, comprised of freshmen
Alexa Carino (3),
Madison Evers-Lyles (2) and
Shannon Garcia (2). Evers-Lyles became the first player in program history to hit two home runs in the same inning (second inning of Game 1). Carino had an inside-the-park grand slam in the fifth inning of Game 1, and followed that with two homers in the nightcap.
Despite the lopsided finals, Sacramento State overcame deficits in both games. That included a 4-0 deficit after the first inning of Game 1, and a 1-0 deficit after the first inning of Game 2.
Speaking of that second game, junior right-hander
Kennedie Magorian was incredible in the circle. After allowing three straight singles to open the first inning, she retired 14 consecutive batters until issuing a two-out walk in the fifth. After those three singles, she allowed just one hit the rest of the game, and allowed one run with one walk and five strikeouts in throwing her team-high seventh complete game of the year. Magorian (7-6) needed just 99 pitches to complete the seven innings.
For Carino, a true freshman, the day could not have been much better. She became the first player in program history to hit an inside-the-park grand slam, had more home runs today (3) than she did all season (2), and finished the day 5-for-8 with four runs, three homers and seven RBIs.
Evers-Lyles now has 10 homers this season, and becomes just the third freshman to connect for 10+, joining Suzy Brookshire (15 in 2017) and Mo Spieth (10 in 2017). Garcia hit two homers in the first game, doubling her season home run total.
Both
Faith Epperson and Carino combined for five hits, while Garcia had four, and
Katie Marsh,
Avery Brown and Evers-Lyles had three. In the process, Epperson, who has started the last three games, raised her batting average to .345.
Sacramento State was a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen base opportunities, and the team now has 66 bags this season - easily a school record. Four different players now have better than 10 stolen bases in
Gwen Ludwig (15-for-16),
Lafulafu Malepeai (14-for-14), Epperson (12-for-14) and Marsh (11-for-14).
In both games today, all but one Sacramento State starter had a hit. While Magorian took the win in the nightcap, and
Caroline Evans (7-7) got the win in the first game.
As a team, the Hornets are now hitting .300 with a .517 slugging percentage, .376 on-base percentage and .893 ops.
