BASEBALL DEFEATS FRESNO STATE, 9-7, WITH WILD FINISH

5/5/2012

Justin Higley hit a two-RBI double in the Hornets' four-run eighth inning at Fresno State.

FRESNO, Calif. – The Sacramento State baseball team scored six runs over the final two innings and held off a ninth inning rally to defeat Fresno State, 9-7, in the opening contest of a three-game Western Athletic Conference series on Friday night at Beiden Field.

The Hornets (25-21, 8-5 WAC) tallied nine runs on 15 hits with one error while the Bulldogs scored seven runs on 12 hits and three errors.

The game was tied up, 3-3, heading into the eighth inning when the Hornets exploded for four runs. Senior Hunter Adrian hit a leadoff single to get things started before sophomore David Del Grande came in to pinch run for him. Del Grande proceeded to steal second before and moved to third on senior Trevor Paine’s single to center. After a pitching change, junior Clay Cederquist was hit by a pitch to load the bases. In the next at-bat, freshman Scotty Burcham reached first on a fielder’s choice by Del Grande was thrown out at home for the first out of the inning.

With the bases still loaded in the eighth, sophomore Justin Higley lined a double to right to score both Greg Meyer, who pinch ran for Cederquist, and Paine. Junior Andrew Ayers hit into another fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning, with Burcham being tagged out a home. With two outs the Hornets weren’t down, however, as Higley came home on a throwing error and senior Derrick Chung hit a single to drive in Ayers and plate the fourth run of the frame.

Sacramento State scored two more runs in the top of the ninth, with Burcham driving in Paine on a suicide squeeze and Will Soto hitting a single up the middle to score Meyer late in the inning.

With a five run cushion the Hornets brought on closer R.J. Davis, who had not given up a run since April 16. Fresno State center fielder Aaron Judge hit a leadoff home run to left before Davis gave up a single and walk. Both runners eventually came home – one on shortstop Chris Mariscal’s RBI double and another on a wild pitch – before Davis ended the game by getting third baseman Jake Alvarez to ground out to second.

Sacramento State reliever Tyler Hoelzen (2-1) earned the win after throwing a scoreless seventh inning. Starting pitcher Dallas Chadwick, who had won both of his previous two starts, allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

Higley finished with two hits and two RBIs and each of the Hornets’ top four hitters in the lineup had at least one RBI. Cederquist also drove in a pair while batting eighth. Adrian paced the offense with three hits.

Fresno State reliever Cody Kendall (3-2) took the loss after giving up two runs on two hits and two walks in one inning. Bulldogs’ starting pitcher Tyler Linehan lasted 5.2 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Sacramento State and Fresno State will meet in game two of the three-game series tomorrow at 6 p.m. The finale is at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Sacramento State 9, Fresno State 7 (May 04, 2012 at Fresno, Calif.)
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Sacramento State.... 001 101 042 - 9 15 1 (25-21, 8-5 WAC)
Fresno State........     003 000 013 - 7 12 3 (19-23, 2-8 WAC)
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Pitchers: Sacramento State - Chadwick, Dallas; Hoelzen, Tyler(7); Nichols, Ty(8); Davis, R.J.(9) and Chung, Derrick. Fresno State - Linehan,Tyler; Escat,Gene(6); Kendall,Cody(7); Garrison,Taylor(8); Mundell,Garrett(9) and Wynns,Austin.
Win-Hoelzen, Tyler(2-1) Loss-Kendall,Cody(3-2) T-3:17 A-1550
HR FS - Judge,Aaron (3).
Weather: Sunny, 75 deg, NW 16 mph
Kendall,C faced 2 batters in the 8th.
Game: 46FSU12