The Hornets won the first game, 6-3, before coming back later to win the nightcap, 5-1.

With the victories, Sacramento State inches ahead of the Vikings into first place in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC) standings. The Hornets, who now sit atop the conference by a half game, conclude the regular season with a 35-20 overall record and a 14-6 mark in the conference. Portland State (34-18, 12-5), which entered the weekend riding a program-record nine-game winning streak, falls out of first place in the league standings for the first time all season.

The Hornets are now just one Portland State loss shy of winning their first PCSC championship since joining the league in 2003. The Vikings still have three makeup games to play next week in Portland against third-place Loyola Marymount. Portland State needs to win all three of those games to finish with a 15-5 conference record and win the PCSC title. Should Portland State lose just one of those games, it would assure the Hornets of the conference title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals, which begin May 19.

Portland State and Loyola Marymount will play their three-game series on Friday and Saturday (May 12-13). The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 3 p.m., and a single game Saturday at 11 a.m. The Vikings are also searching for their first PCSC title. The conference title for the Hornets would be the team’s first in Div. I play. Since joining the Div. I ranks in 1990, Sacramento State’s softball program has played in the Western Athletic Conference (1993-96), the Big West Conference (1997-02) and now the PCSC (2003-pres.).

Sacramento State’s 35 victories mark the team’s most since the 1995 squad won 40 games. That 1995 team also was the last Sacramento State softball squad to reach the NCAA Regionals. Regardless of what happens next week, the Hornets put themselves in a good position by completing the season with a remarkable run of nine-straight conference victories after beginning the season with a 5-6 league mark.

Should Portland State win all three games next week, the Hornets would still have an opportunity to receive an at-large berth into regional play by virtue of their 35-20 record. The NCAA will announce its selections for Regional play on Sunday, May 14, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNews.

Should the Hornets win the league title, it would mark the sixth Sacramento State program to win a conference championship this year, joining the volleyball, gymnastics, rowing, women''s tennis and men''s tennis (co-regular season title) programs.

During the four-game series (which included doubleheader sweeps on Saturday and Sunday), Sacramento State’s pitching staff went 4-0 with a 0.50 ERA, including 33 strikeouts in 28.0 innings. Offensively, the Hornets batted .363 as a team with three home runs, 15 RBIs, 55 total bases and a .487 slugging percentage.

In the opener, Sacramento State pitchers Cassie Cervantes and Nikki Cinque limited Portland State to three hits and three runs (two of those runs were unearned). Offensively, Cinque connected for her team-best eighth home run of the season in the third inning and freshman Jamie Schloredt added a clutch, two-out, two-run double in the seventh to give the Hornets two valuable insurance runs.

Sacramento State opened the game’s scoring in the second inning with three runs. The Hornets took advantage of a Portland State throwing error as all three runs in the inning were unearned. After an intentional walk to Lindy Winkler loaded the bases with two out, Hilary Johnson highlighted the inning with an infield single that wound up scoring two Hornet runs.

Sacramento State increased its lead to 4-0 in the third when Cinque led off the inning with a line drive that cleared the left-center field wall. The home run was her eighth of the season, which ties a Sacramento State Div. I single-season record (1990-pres.) for most home runs in a season.

PSU, however, bounced back with three runs in the fifth, taking advantage of two Hornet errors, two walks and two questionable fielding decisions. Cervantes was pulled midway through the inning after allowing back-to-back walks. Cinque entered the game and eventually got Sacramento State out of the inning with a 4-3 lead.

Schloredt’s two-run double in the seventh scored Winkler and Ashley Dawson to give the Hornets a 6-3 lead. Portland State threatened in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs. However, Cinque got Jana Rae Slayton to line out to Dawson in right field and end the game. Hornet second baseman Gloria Toledo made a big play in the inning, ranging far to her right to field a ground ball and underhand flipping to Amy Tompkins at second base for a force play.

Cervantes (14-4) won her ninth-straight decision, allowing no hits and three runs (one earned) while walking four and striking out seven in 4.1 innings of work. Including yesterday’s no-hitter, Cervantes picked up two wins against Portland State, allowing no hits while striking out 22 in a combined 11.1 innings of work. Cinque picked up the first save of her career, allowing no runs and three hits in 2.2 innings of relief.

In the second game, the Hornets jumped out to a 5-0 lead and rode the arm of Cinque to victory. Sacramento State scored twice in the fourth inning on a two-out, RBI-triple from Dawson, followed by an RBI-single from Tompkins.

Sacramento State put the game out of reach with a three-run homer from Toledo which scored Cinque and Johnson. Toledo’s fourth home run of the season served as a crushing blow to Portland State as the Vikings could muster just one run (in the sixth inning) the rest of the way.

Cinque (15-10) was dominant again in picking up her career-high 15th victory of the season. The right-hander allowed just one run and three hits while walking none and striking out two over seven innings. Cinque combined to finish the day with one win, one save, one home run and a 0.72 ERA.

The Hornets pounded out 13 hits in the game, led by Johnson, Dawson, Tompkins, Britany Crine and Teri Ann Caoagan, who each finished with two hits.

Winkler increased her hitting streak to nine games, and her batting average now stands at .434. The senior center fielder concludes the regular season with one of the more impressive years in Sacramento State softball history. Below is a breakdown of the individual and team records set this season.

Prior the games, Sacramento State seniors Cinque, Crine, Toledo, Winkler, Danielle Ackland and Joanna O’Neill were honored for their contributions to the program.

SACRAMENTO STATE DIV. I (1990-PRES.) TEAM RECORDS SET OR TIED THIS SEASON

• Batting average: .286

• On-base percentage: .355

• Slugging percentage: .415

• Hits: 417 (tied with the 1992 squad)

• Runs: 250

• Home runs: 32

• Doubles: 71

• RBIs: 220

• Total bases: 604

• The pitching staff’s 396 strikeouts are four shy of the record of 400, set in 1995.

SACRAMENTO STATE DIV. I (1990-PRES.) INDIVIDUAL SEASON RECORDS SET OR TIED THIS YEAR

• No-hitters – 3 (Cassie Cervantes)

• Hitting streak – 18 games (Lindy Winkler)

• RBIs - 42 (Jamie Schloredt)

• Home runs – 8 (Nikki Cinque tied the record, set in1998 by Jill Haas)

• Batting average - .434 (Lindy Winkler)

• Runs - 47 (Lindy Winkler)

• Hits - 76 (Lindy Winkler)

• Doubles - 17 (Lindy Winkler)

• Walks - 28 (Jamie Schloredt)

• Stolen bases – 11 (Lindy Winkler tied the record, shared by three other players)