With the victory, Sacramento State has won four in a row while improving its record to 7-3. The Hornets, who are now 3-0 with two games to play in the tournament, are off to their best start since the 1997 squad began the year 7-2-1. After beginning the season with a pair of losses to 21st-ranked Pacific, Sacramento State has won seven of its last eight games.

Hornet starter Brianne Ferguson and UC Santa Barbara starter Carly Harmon were locked in a pitchers dual as both pitchers had shutouts through seven innings. The Gauchos got on the board in the top of the eighth after Ashley Groefsema''s two-out, RBI-single scored pinch runner Karyna Wilkerson.

The Hornets responded with two runs in the bottom half of the eighth as pinch runner Whitnie Darvell was placed on second base to start the inning (tournament rules state that a runner shall be placed on second to start any inning after the seventh). Back-to-back singles by junior Amber Dragomir and freshman Lindy Winkler loaded the bases with no outs. Junior Amy Walter followed with an RBI-single scoring Darvell, but Dragomir was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base. The out at the plate would prove harmless as one batter later, Bivert singled home Winkler with the game-winning run.

Ferguson (3-1) picked up the win, allowing one unearned run and six hits in eight innings of work. The sophomore got out of bases-loaded jams in both the sixth and seventh innings as she won her third decision in a row. In addition, Ferguson extended her streak of consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to 24.2.

Harmon (4-1) got the loss despite allowing two runs (one earned) and seven hits in 7.1 innings.

The Hornets'' victory over the Gauchos was the team''s second in as many weeks as Sacramento State won a 3-1 decision over UC Santa Barbara at the Cal Poly Mustang Roundup.

Sacramento State wraps up Campbell/Cartier play tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 16) against both Loyola Marymount (11:30 a.m.) and Cal State Northridge (2 p.m.).