The home run for Cinque was her second in as many days, and Cervantes’ 19 strikeouts surpassed the previous school record of 18, set by Susie Bugliarello against Cal Poly on March 25, 1997. Bugliarello’s 18 strikeouts also came in an 11-inning game. Cervantes continues to power past the opposition as the Red Bluff, Calif., native now has 51 strikeouts in her last three starts, each Hornet victories. She posted 15 against Nevada last weekend, and 17 more against Iowa last Wednesday, which set the seven-inning school record.

With the victory, the red-hot Hornets improved to 2-0 at the tournament and 13-10 overall this season. Sacramento State has now won nine of its last 10 games after beginning the season with a 4-9 record. The team now has nine home runs in its last 13 games after failing to hit a round tripper in its first 10 games.

Cervantes improved to 3-3 with the victory, allowing just one run and four hits while walking five in 11 innings of work. The freshman has posted at least 13 strikeouts in four of her six starts this season, and has limited her walks to just six over her last 18.0 innings pitched.

Senior Lindy Winkler improved her hitting streak to a career-high 14 games after finishing 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base. One of Winkler’s hits was a ball that hit the top of the wall on the fly in the seventh inning, and went over the fence. However, umpires ruled the hit a ground rule double instead of what would have been a walkoff home run, a call the Sacramento State coaches vehemently argued.

Regardless, Sacramento State used one first-inning run (Winkler scoring on a ground ball hit by senior Gloria Toledo) and two more on Cinque’s bomb to win the game. Both teams left 11 runners on base as the combination of Syracuse pitchers Alexis Switenko and Erin Downey were effective. The game lasted 11 innings even after the international tiebreaker rule went into effect after the seventh inning (a runner was placed at second base to begin each inning after the seventh).

Downey (5-11) got the loss for Syracuse, allowing two runs (one earned) and just one hit (the Cinque homer) while striking out six in four innings of work. Switenko started the game and allowed just six hits and one unearned run in 6.1 innings.

Cervantes got out of one-out, runner at third base jams in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings to get the victory. Sacramento State junior Ashley Dawson (2-for-4) joined Winkler as the only two Hornets with multiple-hit games.

Sacramento State returns to action later today to face Miami University at 5:30 p.m.