BASEBALL POUNDS OUT 18 HITS, BUT ENDS SEASON WITH LOSS TO LOUISIANA TECH IN WAC TOURNEY
FRESNO, Calif. – Sacramento State’s season ended Friday afternoon with a 14-9 loss to Louisiana Tech in its second game of the Western Athletic Conference tournament at Pete Beiden Field.
In what was a must-win game for the Hornets, who finish the year 20-37, Louisiana Tech (33-24) used a nine run, seven-hit outing in the bottom of the fifth to erase the Hornets 5-3 lead.
Sacramento State made a valiant comeback with four runs in the top of the eighth, when senior Jim Strombach led off the inning with a single down the first base line, before eventually scoring on senior first baseman Brian Blauser’s single to left field. Junior Patrick Cummins then hit a bases-clearing two-run double to score Buddy Morales and Blauser, before eventually scoring the final run of the eighth on Montana Dye’s RBI single.
The bottom of the fifth proved to be a critical turning point in the game. After taking a 6-5 lead, Louisiana Tech catcher Mims Boyce continued the Bulldogs’ scoring streak with a three-run homer to left field, followed later in the inning by third baseman Ryan Hamilton, who hit a two-out, three run shot to left field.
Louisiana Tech’s Andrew Alsup (5-1) pitched 5.2 innings in relief of starter Matt Lacy. After Lacy gave up four runs run on eight hits, Alsup surrendered five runs on 10 hits, but was backed by the Bulldogs’ offense.
The Hornets created their 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth when Alsup walked Dye, surrendered a single to Everet Rincon and walked Gary Johnson to load the bases with two outs for Ronnie Machado, Jr. The Tulare, Calif., native came through in the clutch, with an RBI to score Dye and give the Hornets some breathing room with a two-run lead in the top of the fifth.
Sacramento State trailed 3-0 early, but Dye spurred Sacramento State’s four-run, five-hit comeback in the top of the fourth. The Glendora, Calif., native hit his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field to put the Hornets on the scoreboard. Johnson then with a full count, sent a chopper down the third base line to score Rincon from second. With Johnson at second, Machado, Jr. doubled to left field, bringing Johnson home and tying the game at three runs apiece. It was Morales’ go-ahead double to right center that scored Machado, Jr., giving the Hornets a 4-3 lead and keeping his team-leading five-game hitting streak alive.
Sacramento State tallied 18 hits in the game, led by Dye, who finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Machado, in his last game as a Hornet was, 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Strombach, a fourth-year senior also in his last outing, was 2-for-2 on the afternoon and finished the season batting .302.
Morales was 3-for-6 on the afternoon and ended the season batting a team-leading .344 with 65 hits, 23 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 14 doubles and a team-leading .437 on-base percentage. The West Covina, Calif., native was named to the WAC first team earlier in the week.
Blauser, one of only four fourth-year seniors, finished the game 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run, while Rincon in his last game was 2-for-5 with one run and five assists.
Right-hander Travis Kane (3-8) took the loss for Sacramento State after pitching 0.1 innings in relief and allowing three runs on two hits.
Louisiana Tech had a 3-0 lead after three innings when Albie Goulder’s RBI-single scored Jericho Jones from third with two outs in the inning.
The Bulldogs took the first lead of the game, 2-0, in the bottom of the second. Amos Ramon’s RBI-double off the wall in left center scored Goulder to first get the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. Later in the inning with two outs, Joey McCarthy then singled up the middle to score Ramon from third. It looked as if Adam Cobb would put up more runs on the board, but Rincon made a diving stop in the hole and threw out Boyce at second to keep Louisiana Tech at bay and record the third out.
Sacramento State had scoring opportunities in each of the first three innings and. In the third, David Flores recorded a two-out single up the middle and designated hitter Pat Keiper followed Flores with a line drive deep to left field, but Bulldog left fielder Brian Rike made a diving over the shoulder grab to rob Keiper of the RBI.
Sacramento State had scoring opportunities in each of the first three innings and. In the third, David Flores recorded a two-out single up the middle and designated hitter Pat Keiper followed Flores with a line drive deep to left field, but Bulldog left fielder Brian Rike made a diving over the shoulder grab to rob Keiper of the RBI.
