BASEBALL HOLDS ON FOR WIN OVER NEVADA; SEEKS SWEEP ON SUNDAY
4/21/2012
Andrew Ayers hit a bases clearing double to help the Hornets beat Nevada.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento State baseball team watched its six-run lead fall to just one but the Hornets held on for an 8-7 victory over Nevada on Saturday in a Western Athletic Conference game at John Smith Field.
The Hornets (22-18, 5-3 WAC) won their fifth straight game with eight runs on 11 hits and two errors. The Wolf Pack (20-18, 4-4 WAC) tallied seven runs on 11 hits with no errors, but it was the runs they did not get in the ninth that cost them.
With senior closer R.J. Davis on the mound for Sacramento State, Nevada put runners on second and third with no outs. Davis struck out right fielder Brooks Klein for the first out and the next batter, designated hitter, Ray Daniels hit a slow grounder to third where sophomore Will Soto fielded it cleanly and fired to home where senior catcher Derrick Chung was able to tag out shortstop Kyle Hunt for the second out. Davis sealed the win by forcing a flyout in the next at-bat.
The victory gave Sacramento State a series win over the Wolf Pack and the Hornets are now looking for their first WAC series sweep since taking all four games from Hawai’I and three from Louisiana Tech (rain shortened) in 2008. The Hornets are also going for their second sweep this season after taking all three games from Seattle in February.
Before the tense ninth inning, the Hornets jumped out to an 8-2 lead after scoring five in the third inning and three in the fifth. Andrew Ayers hit a bases clearing double to left in the third en route to a game-high four RBIs on a 3-for-4 performance with two runs scored. Freshman Scotty Burcham went 2-for-4 with two runs and senior Trevor Paine had two RBIs.
Freshman starting pitcher Brennan Leitao (4-3) earned the win after allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 5.2 innings with two strikeouts and one walk. Davis secured his eighth save and is just three shy of the Sacramento State single-season record (11).
The Hornets and Wolf Pack meet tomorrow at 1 p.m. for the final game of the series.
Sacramento State 8, Nevada 7 (Apr 21, 2012 at Sacramento, Calif.)
