The doubleheader was the Pacific Coast Softball Conference opener for both squads and featured last year’s top two teams in the conference. Loyola Marymount won the PCSC championship with a 16-4 league mark and Sacramento State finished in second place with a 12-7 record in last season’s standings.

With the split, Sacramento State moved its record to 20-13 overall and 1-1 in the PCSC. The Hornets, who opened the year with a 4-9 record, have now won 16 of their last 20 games. Loyola Marymount is now 21-13 overall and 13-5 on its home field.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Cervantes improved her record to 7-4 after allowing just two hits while striking out 16 batters over seven innings. The freshman right-hander walked eight batters, but stranded 10 Loyola Marymount runners on base, including getting out a bases-loaded jam in the third inning. In fact, LMU left at least one runner on base in every inning. Cervantes struck out three batters in the first, second and fourth innings against an LMU team that entered the game with a .275 team batting average and 26 home runs.

Cervantes has now struck out at least 12 batters in eight of her 11 starts this season.

Winkler’s three RBIs came with one swing of the bat as she struck the big blow of the game with a two-out, three-run double in the second inning scoring Ashley Dawson, Britany Crine and Amy Tompkins. Winkler finished the game 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.

The Hornets added two more in the fifth inning after Teri Ann Caoagan hit a two-run homer (her second of the season) which scored Jamie Schloredt. Sacramento State added an insurance run in the seventh when Gloria Toledo doubled home Nikki Cinque.

Loyola Marymount’s Samantha Lavino (9-6) picked up the loss, allowing five hits and five runs (two earned) in five innings of work.

In the first game, Pagano improved her record to 10-7, allowing just one hit and striking out 12 over seven innings. After Winkler led off the game with a single, Pagano did not allow a hit the rest of the way. With the help of three hit-by-pitches, the Hornets did move a runner to third base in both the second and fourth innings, but failed to score each time.

The Lions had five singles in the second inning as the team scored two runs behind RBI-singles from Darcy Pagnini and MiaSarah Cesena. LMU tacked on one more run in the fifth on an RBI-single from Brittany Bassett.

All eight hits off Hornet starter Nikki Cinque were singles as Sacramento State could not provide the right-hander with run support. Cinque (9-8) picked up the loss, allowing eight hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out six over six innings.

In seven of Cinque’s eight losses this season, Sacramento State’s offense has been held to two runs or less. In her other loss, the team scored three runs.

Winkler was the only Hornet to record a hit in both games as the senior center fielder increased her hitting streak to five games.

The Hornets and Lions conclude the four-game series tomorrow (Sunday, April 9) with another doubleheader beginning at noon. Sacramento State will play its first PCSC games at home next weekend against Santa Clara.