MORAGA, Calif. -- Juniors Bret LeVier and Kyle Aure each finished with two hits but a ninth inning comeback fell short as Saint Mary’s defeated the Sacramento State baseball team, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at Louis Guisto Field. The Hornets are now 6-4 on the year while the Gaels improved to 3-5.
After three scoreless innings, Saint Mary’s got on the board in the fourth after an RBI single by Adam Bellows with two outs. After a fly out by Gilbert Gil and a strikeout by Bryan Byrne, Delaney Gallagher singled to right field and then advanced to second on a wild pitch by junior Warren Rosebrock. After Sam Carter was hit by a pitch, Bellows drove in Gallagher from second with a single.
Sacramento State evened the contest in the fifth when junior Craig Johnson hit an RBI single to center field. Freshman Mick Joyce led off the inning with a walk and then advanced to second on a groundout to third by junior Ronnie Machado, Jr. With two out, Johnson laced a single to center to tie the game.
The Gaels recaptured the lead (3-1) in the bottom of the fifth after a throwing error by Rosebrock allowed a run and Gil drove in a run with a bunt single. Stefan Foushee led off the inning with a single to short and then advanced to second after a throwing error by Rosebrock on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Callan. With runners on first and second, Foushee scored from second after another throwing error by Rosebrock on a bunt attempt by Mike Sansoe. In the next at-bat, Gil drove in Callan from third with a bunt single in front of the plate.
The Hornets cut the deficit to 3-2 in the ninth when junior Travis Kassebaum scored on a bases loaded passed ball, but Justin Sloan recorded two-consecutive outs with the bases full to seal the contest.
Bryan Oland (2-1) earned the win for Saint Mary’s after allowing only one run on six hits while walking three and striking out one in 8.0 innings. Sloan earned his first save of the season after relieving in the ninth.
Rosebrock (1-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits with striking out three and walking none in 6.1 innings of work. Senior Renecke Stelzriede threw 1.2 innings of shutout relief to keep the Hornets in the contest.
Seniors Jack Arroyo and John Acha, who each recorded a hit in the game, have now recorded a hit in every game this season (10).
Sacramento State and Saint Mary’s will conclude the three-game series on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. at Hornet Field.
