The Hornets improve to 20-31-1 on the season as the Spartans fall to 24-24-1.

Katz, a Los Angeles native, is now 6-8 on the season after scattering 12 hits and allowing just three runs (two earned). Senior Marshall Plouffe replaced Katz on the mound in the eighth inning and went two innings allowing just one hit on the way to his fifth save of the season. The Castaic, Calif., native has now cracked the program’s top-10 for saves in a single season.

Sacramento State left fielder Josh Levin got the Hornets on the board early with a two-run triple to right center that scored junior Brian Conradi and senior Matt Wilson in the second inning. For Levin, who is batting .262 on the year, it was his first career triple.

Later in the inning freshman David Flores recorded an RBI when his sacrifice fly scored Levin to give the Hornets an early 3-0 lead.

Sacramento State added another run in the third inning when junior Jim Strombach started the inning with a double. The Aiea, Hawaii, native continues to lead the team with 14 doubles in 2005.

Senior Cliff Hinkle’s ground out advanced Strombach to third base and junior Brian Blauser then recorded his 17th RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Strombach.

Trailing 4-0, San Jose State mounted a comeback scoring three runs in the top of the eighth inning. Nick Epidendio, who went 2-for-5 on the afternoon, led off the inning with a double to left field. A single down the left field line from Brandon Fromm scored Epidendio and broke the Spartans’ drought.

An error allowed Nate Corrick to score and Fromm later scored on a ground out from David Pierson to bring the score within one run at 4-3. Corrick finished his afternoon 2-for-3.

In the bottom of the eighth inning the Hornets picked up an insurance run when junior Brian Blauser led of the inning with a double and later scored on a San Jose State fielding error.

Blauser, an Elk Grove, Calif., finished the day 1-for-3 with one run, one double and one sacrifice fly.

Plouffe then retired the side in order, striking out the final three Spartan batters in the ninth inning.

Sacramento State will continue its three-game series with San Jose State at noon on Saturday. The series ends with a 1 p.m. start on Sunday. Both games can be heard on KSSU 1580 and www.hornetsports.com.