SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State softball snapped a

season-long eight-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over Portland

State in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader Thursday

afternoon at Shea Stadium. The Vikings won the first game, 3-0.

With the split, Sacramento State's record now stands at 10-20 while

Portland State moved to 10-17. The Hornets' eight-game losing streak

was the team's longest since the 1991 squad dropped 10 in a row.

In game two, Sacramento State starter Gina Steenburgen (2-5) picked

up the win, allowing just four hits and two runs (both unearned)

while striking out three in seven innings. The Hornets scored single

runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to earn the

victory.

Sacramento State got on the board first in the third inning after an

RBI-single by Andrea Becker scored Amber Dragomir. An RBI-single by

Jillian Bivert in the fourth and a Lori Meixner RBI-double in the

fifth extended the Hornets' lead to 3-0. In the bottom of the fifth,

Portland State took advantage of two Sacramento State errors to score

two unearned runs. Steenburgen got Courtney Crowe to ground out with

the bases loaded to get out of the jam.

The Hornets added an insurance run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice

fly by Patty Villa. Dragomir led all players with three hits while

Ali Norman chipped in two. Nichole Ivie (3-8) got the loss for the

Vikings, allowing nine hits and four runs (three earned) in six

innings.

In the first game, the Vikings scored three unearned runs in the top

of the second and starter Morgan Seibert (7-9) made the runs stand,

shutting out the Hornets on just three hits while striking out six.

Sacramento State starter Bivert (3-6) picked up the loss despite

allowing just two hits in seven innings.

Bivert opened the second inning by getting Ivie to ground out. After

a walk to Gina Papasadero, Marissa Smith and Seibert reached on

consecutive Hornet errors to load the bases with one out. A fielders

choice off the bat of Stephanie Hagen scored the inning's first run

before Kiauna Anderson and Summer Conroy each recorded RBI-singles to

push the lead to 3-0.

That was all the cushion Seibert would need as she allowed no hits

through the first 4.2 innings of the game.

Sacramento State returns to action this weekend for a Big West

Conference three-game series at UC Santa Barbara. The teams play a

doubleheader on Saturday, March 31, and a single game on Sunday,

April 1.