The Hornets have now won seven of their last eight games and 11 of their last 14. Sacramento State improved to a season-high six games above the .500 mark (22-16) while also improving to 2-0 in the PCSC. San Diego, which had won five of its last six, dropped to 13-18 and 0-2 in the PCSC. In three games against San Diego this season, the Hornets have outscored the Toreros, 11-0.

Deatherage and Ferguson have now each thrown back-to-back shutouts as the pair combined to blank Nevada on March 30. As a team, Sacramento State has not allowed a run since losing to 18th-ranked Pacific on March 27, a span of four-straight shutouts. Deatherage, a native of Cameron Park, Calif., has now allowed just two earned runs over her last 90.2 innings, a span of 13 appearances. She has a 0.15 ERA over that span, and improved to 11-6 with a PCSC-best 0.63 ERA this season.

Ferguson has been just as effective lately, throwing five shutouts over her last six starts. The Ceres, Calif., native has a 0.17 ERA over her last six appearances, and has posted shutouts over Purdue, Wisconsin, Tennessee State, Nevada, and now San Diego. With today’s win, Ferguson inched above the .500 mark for the first time this season as her record now stands at 9-8 with a 1.36 ERA. Both Deatherage and Ferguson have six shutouts this season, while Deatherage has 16 complete games and Ferguson 14.

In the first game, senior Amy Walter’s RBI-single scoring sophomore Lindy Winkler in the third inning proved to be the game’s only run. Deatherage faced just three batters over the minimum while not allowing a San Diego base-runner past second base. Deatherage struck out four batters while walking none over seven innings. Winkler led the Hornets with two hits, including her first triple of the season in the third inning. With the two hits, Winkler extended her hitting streak to a career-best 11 games, but that streak ended in the second game as she went 0-for-3.

Anna Russell (7-3) got the loss for San Diego, allowing one run and five hits while striking out five in seven innings.

In the nightcap, the Hornets scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings and rode the arm of Ferguson. An RBI-single from junior Erin Coyne in the sixth and an RBI-fielders choice from Winkler in the seventh accounted for the game’s only runs. The Hornets finished the game with six hits, including two singles from Coyne and two doubles from freshman Amy Jo McKenzie. The doubles for McKenzie were her fourth and fifth two-baggers of the season.

Ferguson faced just two batters over the minimum as she struck out two and walked one over seven innings. Ferguson allowed just one runner to reach second base during the entire contest as the Toreros never threatened to score. San Diego’s Rebekah Bradford and Sara Mason each had two hits, accounting for all four Torero hits. Christina Haake (3-5) got the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) and six hits in 6.2 innings.

Sacramento State returns to action tomorrow (Sunday, April 4) as the team concludes its four-game series with San Diego at the USD Softball Complex.