The Hornets, who dropped to 0-4 after losing its first two games of the season to second-ranked Cal last week, return to action tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 7) for games against Nevada (2 p.m.) and San Diego (4:30 p.m.). The team concludes the tournament on Sunday, Feb. 8, against host Cal Poly at 2 p.m.

Against UC Santa Barbara, the Gauchos’ Jennifer Davis (3-0) allowed just one hit while striking out eight over seven innings to pick up her third win of the season. After allowing a two-out single to Amanda Moreland in the first inning, Davis retired the final 19 batters in a row. Davis faced one batter over the minimum and did not allow a Sacramento State runner past first base during the entire contest.

UC Santa Barbara scored single runs in the first and second innings off Sacramento State starter Brianne Ferguson on a Kendra Singley RBI-double and a Shelby Hensler RBI-single, respectively. Ferguson, who saw her record drop to 0-3 this season, retired 13 of the final 14 batters she faced and did not allow a hit after the second inning. Junior Erin Coyne finished the game hitless in three at-bats, snapping her three-game hitting streak.

In the Hornets’ early game, Colorado State scored two runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth to post a 5-4 victory. The Rams, who entered the seventh inning trailing, 4-3, got a one-out, two-run double from Brittany Huerta to take a brief lead. Sacramento State starter Nicole Deatherage was pulled after loading the bases with one out before Huerta greeted Hornet reliever Ferguson with the double.

The Hornets, who could not take advantage of five Colorado State errors in the game, tied the contest in the bottom half of the seventh on a two-out, RBI-single from junior Lesley Mayhorn. Sacramento State had a chance to score the winning run, but Ferguson struck out swinging with runners on second and third to end the inning. The Rams opened the eighth with a Katie Dean triple and Stephanie Roberts followed with an RBI-double to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run.

Colorado State’s Megan Masser (2-0), who pitched a perfect eighth inning, went the distance for the win, allowing four runs (two earned) and seven hits while striking out 10 batters. Ferguson received the loss for the Hornets, allowing one run and three hits in 1.2 innings of relief. Deatherage, who had two hits during the game, went the first 6.1 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits. Senior Amber Dragomir also had a multiple-hit game for Sacramento State (2-for-4), while also dropping down a successful squeeze bunt scoring Stephanie Lockhart during the Hornets’ three-run third inning.

In four games this season, Sacramento State is hitting .168 as a team and only two players are hitting above .200 (Deatherage, 3-for-6, .500; Coyne, 4-for-11, .364).