RUSTON, La. - The Sacramento State baseball team held leads in both games of a doubleheader, but the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs came back to win both on Saturday, May 8 at J.C. Love Field.
The Bulldogs took game one by a score of 27-12 in seven innings, and scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to take home a 5-4 victory in game two. With the losses, the Hornets fall to 16-28-1, 5-10 in Western Athletic Conference play, while the Bulldogs improved to 24-22 overall, 9-10 in the WAC.
Game two saw Louisiana Tech score an early run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Hornets stormed back in the top of the fourth, as sophomore Justin Lamb hit a three-run homer to give the Hornets a 3-1 advantage. The lead grew to 4-1 in the top of the fifth, as freshman Blake Miller clubbed a RBI double off the third base bag, scoring senior Justin Mezzaneras, who had singled with two down, to give Sacramento State a three run cushion.
But the Bulldogs fought back, scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth and two in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score at 4-4. In the bottom of the eighth, Devon Dageford led off with a double down the left field line, advanced to scond on a flyout to center that recorded the second out of the inning, and scored on a suicide squeeze from Clint Stubbs to give Tech a 5-4 lead. The Hornets got a runner on with one out in the top of the ninth, but failed to bring him home, ending the game with a Louisiana Tech victory.
Junior Brandon Sandoval (2-3) pitched well for the Hornets, allowing just two runs over his first six innings of work. He finished the outing allowing five runs on eight hits while recording eight strikeouts in his second straight complete game. Mike Jefferson (4-3) picked up the win with a complete game of his own, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out 13.
Game one of the doubleheader saw the Hornets take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, as senior Josh Powers tripled to left-center, and was brought in to score on a RBI single by Miller. After the Bulldogs scored five in the bottom of the first to take a 5-1 lead, the Hornets tied it with four runs in the top of the second. Miller started the rally with a bases loaded walk, and junior Kirby Young followed with a RBI single to center. Junior Trevor Paine was the next batter, and he hit a RBI single to left, and two batters later, Mezzaneras connected on a RBI single to left to tie the score at 5-5.
The Bulldogs, however, put the game out of reach in the bottom of the second, scoring 11 runs on nine hits to take a 16-5 lead. The final score was 27-12, with the teams combining for 43 hits over six and a half innings. Senior Robert Butler (2-2) picked up the loss for the Hornets, allowing seven runs on seven hits in one inning. Mike LeBreton (2-2) picked up the win in relief, allowing five runs on four hits in 4.2 innings of work.
Miller led the Hornets with a 4-for-7 day at the plate with a pair of walks, a double, and four RBI, while Lamb finished 3-for-8 with two homers, a double, and four batted in. Mezzaneras also hit a home run in game one, driving in three on the day. Mark Threlkeld led the Bulldogs with an 8-for-9 day at the plate, which included three doubles, a home run and seven RBI.
The two teams will close out the four game set on Sunday, May 8 at 1 p.m. CDT.
RUSTON, La. - The Sacramento State baseball team held leads in both games of a doubleheader, but the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs came back to win both on Saturday, May 8 at J.C. Love Field.
