The Hornets, on a two-game winning streak, are now 3-5 while the Gaels fall to 4-3. The teams will finish their three-game series at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at Hornet Field.

Sacramento State was led by senior second baseman Pat Keiper and junior left fielder Gary Johnson. Batting leadoff, Keiper recorded his fourth consecutive multiple-hit game, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. The Los Angeles native leads the team with a .419 average, 13 hits and six RBIs.

Johnson, in his first season out of Sierra JC, went 3-for-5 from the plate, scoring three runs while also registering his third double this season. He has four multiple-hit games this year.

Campbell (1-1) earned his first victory of the year after pitching 7.0 innings and allowing just one run while scattering five hits.

Sacramento State jumped out to an early lead, posting four runs in the top of the first inning on Saint Mary’s starter Michael Nisco. In the loss, Nisco surrendered 11 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits. It was the Hornets’ largest margin of victory since a 14-2 victory over Cal State Stanislaus in 2003.

In the first inning, Johnson doubled down the left field line and junior Montana Dye then singled to right field. With runners at third and first, senior designated hitter Kyle Atrat earned his first RBI of the game. The Clovis, Calif., native had a career-high four RBIs and is now on three-game hitting streak.

Seniors Buddy Morales and Brian Blauser both recorded hits in the first, while sophomore David Flores’ sacrifice fly to center field scored the final run of the inning.

Nisco stayed out of trouble in the second and third innings, but the Hornets put up another four runs on two hits in the top of the fourth. Keiper’s two-run single to left field scored Flores and shortstop Everet Rincon to start the inning. Dye then recorded an RBI to score Keiper and Atrat got his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Johnson.

Dye, in his first year out of Saddleback JC, is batting .345 and is the only Hornet to record a hit in every game this season.

The Hornets added three runs in the sixth inning and two runs in the eighth to put things out of reach. The Gaels were held to just five hits and also committed three errors.

Morales, now on a four-game hitting streak, went 2-for-3 and recorded an RBI. Rincon went 2-for-5 for his third multiple-hit game of the season, while also scoring two runs.