Ferguson, who threw her second shutout of the season, also picked up her third save in the second game. Meanwhile, Hillel went 2-for-3 with a career-high two doubles and three RBIs in the first game, and 2-for-3 in the second game.

With the victories, Sacramento State snapped a season-long four-game losing streak while improving its record to 19-13. Cal Poly, which defeated the Hornets earlier in the season, dropped to 14-21.

In the first game, Ferguson''s only blemishes were a third-inning single and a sixth-inning single. The right-hander retired the first seven batters of the game, and later retired 10 batters in a row as she never allowed a runner past first base. Ferguson (7-6) had lost her previous four decisions before allowing just two hits and striking out five over seven innings today.

The Hornets got on the board in the second inning on a Hillel RBI-double and added three more in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run double from Hillel. Sacramento State scored its final run of the inning after freshman Kristi Yoshizawa connected for her first career double and RBI scoring Hillel.

Cal Poly''s Jamie Gelbart (5-5) picked up the loss, allowing four runs and six hits in 3.2 innings before Cassie Vanderbeek relieved her in the fourth inning.

In the second game, the Hornets survived a late scare as Cal Poly nearly erased a four-run deficit in the seventh inning. Cal Poly entered the inning down, 4-0, but strung together a two-out rally off Hornet starter Gina Steenburgen that consisted of a two-run double from Chelsea Green and an RBI-double from pinch hitter Shannon Brooks. With pinch runner Gemma Dalena on second base as the potential tying run, Ferguson entered the game and got Roni Sparrey to fly out to end the contest.

Sacramento State opened the scoring with three runs in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Lesley Mayhorn and a two-out, two-run double from Jillian Bivert. The Hornets added what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth on a Lindy Winkler RBI-double scoring Mayhorn.

Winkler recorded her team-high fourth three-hit game of the season as she also finished with a run and an RBI. Bivert collected two hits and snapped a streak of nine-consecutive games without an RBI.

In just her second start of the season, senior Gina Steenburgen improved her record to a perfect 3-0 as she allowed three runs and nine hits in 6.2 innings before Ferguson recorded the final out. Steenburgen worked her way out of trouble repeatedly as she allowed at least one base runner in every inning but the fifth.

Junior Amber Dragomir combined for three hits today and is now hitting .371 (13-35) over her last 12 games.

Sacramento State returns to action this Sunday, March 30, as the team travels to Reno to take on Nevada in a doubleheader starting at noon.