ARCATA, Calif. – No. 4 Humboldt State softball crushed five home runs as it completed a series sweep of Cal State San Bernardino Saturday. The Lumberjacks walked off in the early game, 4-3, and closed out the four-game set with a 7-5 victory.
 
"It's always nice to get a sweep especially in front of the home crowd," said Head Coach Shelli Sarchett. "San Bernardino is a good team and I have to give credit to their offense today. They definitely made our pitchers work for it.  It was nice to see our offense put our pitchers on their back and take the reigns of the game."
 
The Jacks improved to 20-2-1 overall and 15-1 in conference play with Saturday's results and extended their winning steak to seven straight. HSU is off to its best start since the 2007 campaign, when it opened the season with a 20-3 record.
 
HSU travels to Carson, Calif., and begins a four-game series with Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday, March 25. First pitch for the first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
GAME ONE 
(Humboldt State 4, Cal State San Bernardino 3)
 
The Jacks scored a pair of runs in the first inning of their third meeting with the Coyotes. Hanna Holland drove the first pitch from Cassandra Williams 240 feet over the left centerfield fence to put the Green and Gold up 1-0.
 
"Holland has been more than solid so far," said Sarchett. "Today she was able to show her ability to drive the ball with power to the opposite field. That was nice to see. She has worked hard on that aspect of her game."
 
HSU extended its lead to 2-0 on one of the most exciting plays of the season. With runners at first and second and two outs, Sydney Roberts checked her swing on a called third strike. The Coyotes walked off the field and their catcher casually tossed the ball back into the circle. The problem for San Bernardino was that the ball was dropped by backstop Jessica Brown and was still in play. Roberts bolted from the on-deck circle and reached first base safely, and Tiffany Hollingsworth rounded third to come home before Williams picked up the ball to make the throw home.
 
San Bernardino brought home three in the sixth to take a one-run advantage. Brianna Quintana drove in a pair of the runs on a flare into left field.
 
Breonna Bejaran swatted the first pitch she saw from Williams in the bottom half of the sixth frame to even the score at 3-3. The long ball was her fifth of the season.
 
The Jacks finished the game with a bang. Hollingsworth drilled her fifth home run of the year with two outs and wrapped the victory in walk-off fashion. She and Holland were the only Green and Gold players with multi-hit outings in game one.
 
Katie Obbema started in the circle. She limited the Coyotes to three runs on 11 hits and collected her ninth win.
 
GAME TWO
(Humboldt State 7, Cal State San Bernardino 5)
 
The late game was a slugfest, but the Green and Gold delivered the knockout blow.
 
A Kalyn Paque grand slam in the five-hit first inning helped HSU take a 5-0 lead. She finished the game with two hits and a pair of home runs, including a solo shot in the sixth.
 
Madison Williams breezed through five hitless frames versus the Coyotes before running out of gas in the sixth. San Bernardino scored four runs on three hits, which included a Taylor Ancona grand slam.
 
Williams yielded another run in the sixth, but refused to allow the visitors a chance to steal a victory from the jaws of defeat. She moved to a perfect 10-0 with the complete game win and recorded eight strikeouts.
 
"Maddie was throwing the ball well up until she gave up the first hit," said Sarchett. "Then it just seemed like she lost trust in her stuff. The strikeout to end the inning was huge for her confidence after giving up the four runs. All-in-all it was a good day for the Jacks."
 
Six Jacks had two or more hits in the series finale. Kelly Sonnemann led the way with a season-best three hits.