BASEBALL DROPS DOUBLEHEADER TO THE NEVADA WOLF PACK
5/15/2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to visiting Nevada on Saturday at Hornet Field. The Hornets fell in game one 4-2, and were defeated in game two by a score of 7-6 in seven innings.
With the days action, the Hornets fall on the season to 17-31-1, 6-13 inside of the Western Athletic Conference, while the Wolf Pack improved to 29-19-1 overall, 10-8-1 in the WAC.
Game one was a pitcher's duel that saw both starters produce quality starts for their respective teams. Nevada struck for two runs in the top of the first to take an early lead, as Cullen Mahoney hit a solo home run, and later in the inning, Garrett Yrigoyen drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in another run. The Hornets came back to score one run in the bottom of the second to cut the lead in half, as freshman Andrew Ayers produced a two-out double, and senior Dan McCarthy drove him home with a RBI single.
After the Wolf Pack added an unearned insurance run in the top of the seventh to make the score 3-1, the Hornets got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, as with the bases loaded and one out, freshman Blake Miller connected on a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Ayers to cut the Wolf Pack lead to 3-2.
Nevada added another insurance run in the top of the eighth on a bases loaded RBI single by Kevin Rodland, and the Hornets were retired in order in the eighth and ninth, accounting for the final score of 4-2.
Sophomore Jesse Darrah (3-6) threw six strong innings, allowing just the two first inning runs on five total hits while striking out nine, but picked up the loss in the contest. Tom Jameson (4-1) threw 6.2 innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out three. Tyler Graham (5) pitched a one-two-three ninth, striking out two, to pick up the save.
In game two, Nevada once again took an early 2-0 lead, as in the top of the first, Ronnie Mitchell II and Yrigoyen each drove in a run with a single and a fielder's choice groundout. This time the Hornets would come back to tie it at 2-2 in the bottom of the third, as junior Kyle Baskett hit his first career homer over the left field fence, driving in a pair to even the score.
Sacramento State would go on to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth, as senior Justin Mezzaneras hit a solo home run over the left field wall, his fifth of the season, to give the Hornets the lead. Insurance would then follow in the bottom of the fifth, as the Hornets scored three more runs to take a 6-2 lead. With runners on first and second and one out, Miller and Baskett executed a double steal, and Wolf Pack catcher Carlos Escobar Jr. threw the ball into left field, allowing Miller to score for the first run of the inning. Junior Trevor Paine then followed with a RBI double down the left field line, scoring Baskett to give the Hornets a three run cushion. The fourth run of the inning came in the form of a pinch-hit RBI single off the bat of junior Jake Chilton, scoring Paine to make the score 6-2.
But the Wolf Pack would come back in the top of the sixth to take the lead. After loading the bases with a walk followed by back-to-back singles, Brock Stassi hit a grand slam over the right-center field wall, tying the score at 6-6. Yrigoyen followed with a single, and came around to score on a pinch hit triple off the right field wall by Nick Leid, giving Nevada a 7-6 advantage. The Hornets mustered first and second with two down in the bottom of the seventh, their last at bat, but a groundout ended the game, giving Nevada the doubleheader win.
Making his first career start, junior Andrew Galvan (1-4) pitched well until the sixth, picking up the loss. Galvan allowed seven runs on seven hits in 5.1, walking two and striking out four. Jerad Harvey (1-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Jeremy Cole, allowing one base runner in a third of an inning of work. Cole allowed six runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings, which ended his streak of consecutive complete games at three. Graham (6) picked up the save for the second straight game, allowing one hit and one hit batter in two innings.
Six Hornets, Chilton, McCarthy, Mezzaneras, Miller, Paine and senior Josh Powers, each provided two hits apiece on the day, with six different Hornets also producing RBI on the day. Stassi led the Wolf Pack with three hits, including the home run, and four RBI.
The teams will close out the four-game series on Sunday at Hornet Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., but a host of activities will happen before the game. The Hornets will honor their seven seniors before the Hornets' final home game, and will also honor head coach John Smith, who will be coaching his final home game after 32 seasons at the helm of the Hornets. These ceremonies are set to begin at 12:30 p.m.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to visiting Nevada on Saturday at Hornet Field. The Hornets fell in game one 4-2, and were defeated in game two by a score of 7-6 in seven innings.
