SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Junior pitcher Nikki Cinque recovered from a rough first inning to pick up her first win as a Hornet and Lindy Winkler led all players with three hits as Sacramento State defeated host Cal Poly, 5-2, in the fifth and final game of the Mustang Roundup Sunday afternoon.With the win, the Hornets finished the tournament with a 3-2 record, including victories over Arkansas (Friday) and Nevada (Saturday).
After Cinque allowed two runs and two hits in the first inning to Cal Poly, the Sacramento City JC transfer settled down and allowed just four hits and no runs the rest of the way. Cinque (1-1), who was a junior college All-American last year, allowed two runs and six hits while striking out six in seven innings of work.
The Hornets quickly responded with three runs in the bottom of the first on a two-run single from senior Amy Hillel and an RBI-single from freshman Teri Ann Caoagan. Sacramento State was able to score all three runs after two outs were recorded in the inning.
The Hornets added two more in the fifth inning as Winkler and senior Lesley Mayhorn opened the inning with singles. A Cinque sacrifice bunt advanced Mayhorn and Winkler to second and third, respectively, and senior Erin Coyne followed with a two-run single.
Winkler, who also led off the Hornets’ first inning with a double, has now hit safely in four-straight games and is batting .583 (7-for-12) over that span. Coyne and Hillel both finished with two RBIs for the Hornets as the team’s five runs were a season high.
Cinque was named to the all-tournament team along with Brianne Ferguson, who went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA at the tournament.
Sacramento State (3-2) returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 9, for its home opener vs. UC Davis at 1 p.m.
