With the victories, Loyola Marymount (34-16, 16-2) clinched the PCSC championship and will receive the conference''s automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals, which is set to begin on May 20. LMU, which has now won the league title twice in the last three years, entered this weekend''s four-game series needing just one win to clinch the PCSC title. In its third year of existence, the PCSC champion was awarded an automatic berth into the NCAA''s postseason tournament for the first time this season.

With the losses, Sacramento State moved to 28-23 and 10-7 in the PCSC. Depending upon the outcome of tomorrow''s games, the Hornets still have an outside shot of an at-large berth into the NCAA Regionals as the team last advanced to the tournament in 1995. Tomorrow''s doubleheader wraps up the regular season for both teams as the NCAA will announce the tournament field and pairings on Sunday, May 15.

In the first game, Casie Phillips'' two-out, RBI-single in the top of the seventh inning broke a 3-3 tie and proved to be the game-winning hit. Phillips, who was one of seven Loyola Marymount players with a hit in the game, drove in Margo Pineda from second base.

LMU scored one run in the first inning (Caylin Hornish RBI-single) and two more in the third (a Hornet error allowing both runs to score) to take an early 3-0 lead. Sacramento State was able to claw its way back into the game in the bottom of the fifth as the Hornets mounted a two-out rally.

After the first two batters of the fifth were retired by LMU starter Kayla Meeks, Sacramento State got consecutive singles from Hilary Johnson, Lesley Mayhorn, Lindy Winkler, Gloria Toledo and Amy Hillel to tie the game. Winkler, Toledo and Hillel each had RBIs during the rally as the team''s five hits in the frame were nearly half its total for the entire game (11).

Sacramento State mounted another rally in the sixth inning, putting runners at first and second with one out before Lions reliever Krystal Kehr got Johnson and Mayhorn to ground out ending the inning. The Hornets also got a leadoff single in the seventh from Winkler, but the Lions'' second relief pitcher of the game (Pagano) retired the next three batters in succession to end the contest.

The loss wasted a sparkling effort from Sacramento State pitcher Brianne Ferguson as the right-hander struck out a career-high 14 batters, including at least one strikeout of every hitter in the Lions'' lineup. Ferguson (15-10) allowed four runs (two earned) and seven hits in seven innings as the 14 strikeouts were three more than her previous career high of 11 (set earlier this season at Nevada).

Kehr (4-3) got the win, allowing two hits in one inning of work. Pagano picked up her third save of the season, allowing one hit while striking out two in the seventh inning.

In the nightcap, Pagano dominated throughout the game, allowing the Hornets to just four hits over seven innings while walking one and striking out four. Pagano (14-6) did not allow a runner past second base during the entire contest as all four Hornet hits were singles. Hilary Johnson led the Hornets’ offense with two hits, and combined with her two hits in the first game, she is now batting .281 this season.

LMU scored two runs in the fourth inning on a two-run homer from Danielle Kaminaka and added two more in the seventh on RBI-singles from Pineda and Kaminaka. Pineda finished the game 3-for-3, while Kaminaka had two hits and a game-high three RBIs.

The Hornets’ Nikki Cinque (13-9) picked up the loss, allowing four runs and nine hits in seven innings.