BASEBALL DROPS FIRST GAME OF WEEKEND SERIES AT NO. 22 UC IRVINE
3/12/2011
Andrew Ayers went 2-for-4 with two runs but the Hornets lost to UC Irvine on Friday.
IRVINE, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team lost, 9-5, on Friday night in the opening contest of a three-game series against No. 22 ranked UC Irvine at Anteater Ballpark. The Hornets slide to 4-10 on the season while the Anteaters improve to 9-1.
Reliever Nick Hoover (1-0) earned the win for UC Irvine while starter Tanner Mendonca (1-2) took the loss for Sacramento State.
The Anteaters came out swinging as they scored four runs in the first inning and tacked on four more runs combined in the the next three innings. They crossed the plate once more in the eighth.
Leadoff man D.J. Crumlich went 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs for UC Irvine. Drew Hillman drove in four runs and scored twice as the Anteaters tallied nine runs on 10 hits with three errors.
Sacramento State scored in the second, fourth, fifth and ninth innings. The Hornets put up a pair in the second after back-to-back doubles by Eli Davis and Andrew Ayers. Davis scored on Ayers' shot to left center and Ayers came around on Trevor Paine's ground out to the pitcher.
The Hornets had two runners on with one out in the ninth as they faced a five run deficit. Davis ground out to second scored Justin Lamb from third but, after a pitching change, UC Irvine got a strike out to end the game.
Sacramento State had five runs on eight hits with no errors. Mendonca went four innings, allowing eight runs on nine hits with one strikeout and five walks. Reliever Brandon Creel pitched four strong innings, with one run on one hit and two strikeouts.
The Hornets play the second game of the series at 2 p.m. tomorrow and finish it at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
