STOCKTON, Calif. -- Marshall Plouffe, Dave Turner and Michael Penbera combined to limit the University of the Pacific to two runs and five hits en route to a 5-2 Sacramento State victory Sunday afternoon at Billy Hebert Field. The game was the season finale for both teams.
The Hornets ended the year with a 24-35 overall record and a 4-14 mark in the Big West Conference. The Tigers fell to 25-30 overall and 5-13 in conference games.
Sacramento State began the scoring in the first inning when Cory Williams and Carlos Morales both walked with one out. Dave Lusk followed with a single to score Williams.
UOP tied the game in the second inning despite not getting a hit. Rick Morton opened the inning with a walk and advanced to second when Andrew Coleman was hit by a pitch. Michael Fitzgerald moved both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Travis Anderson followed with a ground ball to third. The ball was fielded by Morales but his throw to the plate sailed over the head of Lusk at the plate.
The Hornets added another run in the third inning when Joe Evans scored Aurelio Jackson with a deep fly ball to center. The team then put the game out of reach in the fourth, scoring three runs on three hits.
Dave Lusk began the rally with a single to center field. Lusk was moved to second on a single by Seth Athcue and later scored on a single to right center by Chris Kinsey.
The 5-1 cushion proved to be plenty for the Hornet pitching staff. Plouffe improved to 3-1 on the season after tossing five innings. The freshman allowed just one earned run and three hits while striking out two. Turner came on in the sixth inning and held UOP scoreless for the next three innings. The junior recorded three strikeouts and was only touched for three hits. Penbera came on the in ninth and pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning to earn his 10th save of the year.
The only other Pacific run in the game came in the fourth inning when Fitzgerald scored from first on a double to right center by Anderson.
Sacramento native Todd Culp was dealt the loss and fell to 1-5.
Lusk and Atchue led the Hornet offense with a pair of hits. No UOP player had more than one hit.
OTHER NOTES: Jackson walked in the seventh inning to to continue his on-base streak. The senior reached in 57 of the 58 games this season...Morales went 0-for-3 to snap his hitting streak at 14 games. That streak eclipsed the previous team high of nine...Penbera moved into a tie for second place in single-season saves with 10. His career total of 16 also ranks second.
