The Hornets are now on a four-game winning streak and improve to 15-20 on the year and 4-4 in the Western Athletic Conference. The team recorded season highs with 19 runs and 21 hits, while taking the series with New Mexico State. The third game will be played Sunday with a 10 a.m. PST start. The Aggies fall to 12-24 and 1-7 in the WAC.

It is the second straight WAC series the Hornets have come out victorious, after winning its series with Nevada, 2-1, a week ago.

Once again it was sophomore David Flores who led Sacramento State at the plate. After going 5-for-5 with two doubles on Friday, the Hornets’ starting third baseman followed up a career-day finishing 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two doubles and one run scored.

Senior catcher Buddy Morales homered for the second consecutive game, and ended his evening 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs, three runs scored, one double and one walk, while also extending his team-leading six-game hitting streak. The West Covina, Calif., native now has three home runs in 2006.

Senior left-hander Matt Campbell improved to 3-6 on the season, pitching 6.0 innings and surrendering just one run on two hits while recording eight strikeouts, just one shy of his career high.

Sacramento State wasted little time taking its lead, jumping out to a five-run advantage in the top of the first. With one out and the bases loaded, senior Brian Blauser produced a two-run single to left field, scoring Morales and senior Pat Keiper.

Flores’ sacrifice fly scored senior Kyle Atrat and senior Jim Strombach’s RBI-single scored Blauser from third. Strombach stole second to work his way into scoring position for junior Montana Dye, who connected on an RBI-single up the middle.

The Hornets did the rest of their damage in the fifth inning, scoring eight runs.

Strombach, Dye, Rincon and Blauser also produced big games at the plate. Strombach finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored, two stolen bases and a walk. The Aiea, Hawaii native is now a flawless 7-for-7 in stolen bases this season.

Dye was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and one walk.

Rincon, now on a three-game hitting streak, finished 2-for-3 with two runs scores, one RBI and one stolen base.

Blauser, Sacramento State’s starting first baseman, was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, three runs scored and one walk.

Keiper also recorded his team-leading 11th double of the season, while Atrat hit his sixth home run of the season.

New Mexico State did most of its damage late in the game, scoring six runs in the final three innings.

Brian Gausman took the loss for the Aggies, surrendering 12 runs on 12 hits in 4.1 innings on the mound.

Sacramento State now has won two consecutive WAC series, after finishing 2-1 against Nevada a week ago. After playing game three of their series with the Aggies at 10 a.m. PST on Sunday, the Hornets will return home to host San Jose State for a three-game conference series beginning at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 13.