The four-game series between the Hornets and Vikings was supposed to begin on Saturday, but the day was rained out forcing the teams to play a tripleheader today and a single game on Monday at 2 p.m. The Hornets won the first game of today’s tripleheader, 2-1, in nine innings before Portland State came back to win the second game, 9-3. Sacramento State then closed out the long day with a 5-2 victory in the nightcap to take a 2-1 lead in the series heading into tomorrow’s contest.

With the victories, Sacramento State, which has won 10 of its last 14 games, improved to 28-21 overall and 10-5 in the PCSC. Portland State dropped to 14-24 and 8-7 in the conference. Unfortunately for the Hornets, Loyola Marymount swept San Diego in a doubleheader for the second-consecutive day and remains in first place with a 14-2 conference record.

Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow’s game between Sacramento State and Portland State, the Hornets will have to sweep next weekend’s four-game series against Loyola Marymount to assume first place in the league standings and gain an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals. With one victory next weekend, Loyola Marymount will clinch the PCSC title and a postseason berth. The series will be played in Sacramento (doubleheaders on both April 30 and May 1) as the Hornets are looking for their first NCAA Regional bid since 1995.

In the first game of the tripleheader, an error by Portland State shortstop Stephanie Bean allowed Hilary Johnson to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. After an intentional walk to Lindy Winkler loaded the bases with no outs, Erin Coyne hit a ball to Bean who misplayed the grounder and allowed the game winner to score.

Sacramento State Nos. 1-3 hitters Johnson (2-for-4 with a run and two stolen bases), Lesley Mayhorn (2-for-4 with an RBI) and Winkler (3-for-4 with a walk) combined to bat .583. The Hornets, who finished the game with 10 hits, had numerous chances to score but left a season-high tying 14 runners on base.

Ferguson and Portland State starter Michelle Hext battled throughout as the two were locked in a pitchers’ dual. Ferguson was dominant, allowing just one run and five hits while striking out 10 over nine innings. In fact, Ferguson got better as the game went along, retiring 15 of the final 16 batters she faced in the contest. Hext (6-8) picked up the loss, allowing two unearned runs and 10 hits over eight innings.

Sacramento State got its first run in the second inning when Mayhorn singled home pinch runner Ashley Dawson. The win for the Hornets was their eighth-straight conference victory prior to losing the second game.

In game number two of the triple dip, Portland State scored three runs in the first inning, one in the third, one in the fifth and four in the seventh off Hornet pitchers Nikki Cinque (4.0 innings, five hits and four unearned runs) and Jennifer Fryou (3.0 innings, five runs, two earned and three hits). The Vikings were able to take advantage of two costly Hornet errors as all three runs in the first, one in the third and three in the seventh were unearned.

The Vikings’ Kayla Lewis struck the big blow in the game as her three-run homer in the seventh capped a day in which she finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs. Lewis also had a two-run double in the first inning. Sacramento State scored three runs in the seventh inning on a two-run triple from Hillel and an RBI-single from Ackland.

Portland State starter Mandy Hill (4-4) picked up the victory, allowing three runs (two earned) and four hits in seven innings. Cinque (13-8) took the loss as all four runs she allowed were unearned.

Hillel (2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs) was the only Hornet with a multiple-hit game as Hill allowed just one hit through the first six innings of the contest.

In the nightcap, Johnson, Mayhorn, Winkler, Ackland and Gloria Toledo each had an RBI to lead the Hornets to the 5-2 victory. Toledo hit her second home run of the season in the fourth inning and Ackland added her first home run of the year in the sixth inning.

Ferguson (15-9) completed her impressive day as the senior allowed just one run and three hits in five innings to pick up her second victory. Cinque pitched the final two innings, allowing one run and three hits, to preserve the win. Ferguson allowed Portland State a .157 batting average during the day while limiting the Vikings to just eight hits and two runs in 14.0 innings to go along with 15 strikeouts.

Sacramento State opened the scoring in the third inning as Winkler singled home Johnson The Hornets broke things open in the fourth as Toledo led off the inning with a solo home run. Johnson was eventually hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Mayhorn added a sacrifice fly to complete the three-run inning.

The Vikings closed the gap with a run in the fifth inning before Sacramento State answered right back in the sixth with Ackland’s solo home run over the right-field wall. Hillel (2-for-4 with a run) and Ackland (2-for-3 with a run and an RBI) both finished with multiple-hit games for the Hornets.

Vanessa Holm (3-9) got the loss for Portland State, allowing four runs and five hits in 3.1 innings.

Both of next weekend’s doubleheaders begin at noon at Shea Stadium on the Sacramento State campus. The Hornets have had a tough time with Loyola Marymount over the last two years, posting a 1-7 record over that span against the Lions.