Big Sky Conference standings

POCATELLO, Idaho — Idaho State combined to score 15 runs on 18 hits over two games in a doubleheader sweep of Sacramento State on Saturday afternoon at Miller Ranch Stadium. The Bengals won the first game, 6-3, before taking the nightcap, 9-0, in five innings.

Idaho State won two of three in the series as the Hornets posted a 3-2 victory in 12 innings yesterday in the opener.

Sacramento State saw its six-game winning streak snapped while falling to 22-13 overall and 7-5 in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets are now in a three-way tie for second place in the league standings with North Dakota and Montana. Weber State sits in first with an 8-4 record. The Hornets took two of three at Weber State two weeks ago.

After playing three of their first four Big Sky three-game series on the road, Sacramento State will finally get some home cooking and will play the next two weekends against league opposition at home. In fact, the Hornets open a season-long eight-game homestead next week with a non-conference doubleheader vs. Saint Mary's on Wednesday and a three-game set with Southern Utah on Friday and Saturday.

Hornet second baseman Zamari Hinton went 0-for-4 in the first game, ending her program-record tying hitting streak at 21 games. During the hitting streak, she batted .493 (37-for-75) with 22 runs scored, 12 RBIs, four stolen bases and a .513 on-base percentage. She now shares the school record with Izmena Cabrera who hit safely in 21 consecutive games in 2009.

GAME 1

Sacramento State jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two in the third and once more in the fourth inning. However, Idaho State scored six unanswered runs, including three in the fourth inning, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth.

Junior Nene Alas kicked off the scoring with a one-out solo homer in the third inning. The homer was the first in the career of the third-year outfielder. Later in the inning, after Suzy Brookshire lined a two-out double to center field, Mo Spieth drove her in with a single to right. Sacramento State took a 3-0 lead in the fourth after Alas' sacrifice fly to right field scored pinch runner Charizma Guzman.

The Hornets had plenty more opportunities to score, leaving at least one runner on base in every inning. Sacramento State would strand a total of nine runners aboard while Idaho State stranded just three. After a pair of two-out singles by Spieth and Sydney Rasmussen in the seventh inning got the tying runner to the plate, Idaho State pitcher Mariah Mulcahy was able to retire Sydnee Strong for the final out.

The big blows for Idaho State were an Aubrey Creekmore homer in the third and a two-run shot from Ashlyn Ames in the fifth. That Ames' blast gave the Bengals a 5-3 lead and proved to be the game-winning hit.

Mulcahy (6-13) got the win, allowing seven hits and three runs with just two strikeouts over seven innings. Celina Matthias (14-5), who threw all 12 innings in dominating fashion yesterday, took the loss. She allowed seven hits and six runs with five strikeouts over six innings.

Alas finished 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs while Spieth was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Both Brookshire and Alexxiss Diaz had a double.

GAME 2

Idaho State pounded out nine runs on 11 hits, putting up crooked numbers in the second (3), third (2) and fourth (4) innings. The game was stopped after the fifth inning because of the eight-run mercy rule. The Hornet bats had trouble against Ames, who was impressive, allowing just two hits with two walks and three strikeouts over five innings.

Brookshire and Jessica Scott both had a hit and a walk, and were the Hornets to get aboard during the game.

The big blows for ISU were a two-run double from Shayna Dahlen in the second inning, and a two-run double from Genesis Zamora in the third. Three different Bengals had RBIs in the fourth.

Ames (3-12) got the win, while Sacramento State used all three pitchers. Savanna Corr worked the first 2.1 innings, Danielle Sperry pitched two-thirds of an inning, and Matthias threw an inning. Only Matthias was unscored upon.

Sacramento State will play again on Wednesday at home for a doubleheader vs. Saint Mary's at 2 p.m.