Later on in the afternoon during the second game of the doubleheader, the Hornets rallied for three runs in the ninth inning, but fell short in a 6-5 loss.

The Hornets are now 10-15 on the season, while the Wolverines are now 6-12.

In his seventh start of the season, Joyce surrendered just four hits and recorded three strikeouts. The junior faced just five batters over the minimum and was one out away from a shutout until Utah Valley State’s Dan Bulow homered in the top of the ninth inning for the Wolverines’ only run.

The Temecula, Calif., native leads the staff with a 1.62 ERA and 30 strikeouts.

Offensively, Sacramento State held just a 1-0 lead entering the sixth inning, until senior Brian Conradi cleared the bases, connecting on a three-run double to the right field wall and giving the Hornets a 4-0 lead. The Bakersfield, Calif., native finished the game 2-for-4 and is now batting .308 on the season.

Sacramento State put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, when senior Pat Keiper’s RBI-single scored junior second baseman Patrick Cummins. Keiper continues to lead the team with a .387 batting average and 19 RBIs.

Senior Buddy Morales scored Sacramento State’s sixth run on a balk and sophomore third baseman David Flores scored the seventh and final run of the game on a passed ball.

Cummins, who made his third and fourth starts of the season at second base, went 2-for-5 in the first game, while Keiper finished 3-for-4 and added his team-leading 10th double of the season. Senior first baseman Brian Blauser went 1-for-1 with one run and one RBI while being walked three times.

Utah Valley State’s Kalen Parsons (0-4) took the loss after pitching 6.0 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits, while walking four.

In the second game, the Hornets were trailing 6-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, but Sacramento State made things exciting adding four runs in the final two innings.

Utah Valley State’s Kyle Tash (4-1) fell just one out short of a complete game in the win, allowing five runs on 11 hits, while striking out 10.

In the eighth, junior Gary Johnson scored the Hornets’ first run after Wolverine left fielder Canyon Vance mishandled Morales’ single.

With Cummins and Morales on base, Tash struck out the final two batters of the inning, preserving a 6-2 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth with one out, senior Jim Strombach doubled off the center field wall to get into scoring position. Freshman Gabe Jacobo was then walked by Tash with both runners advancing on Johnson’s ground out to second base. Cummins then kept the inning alive, recording his first career double to score Strombach and Jacobo. The Walla Walla, Wash., native scored on Morales’ double to left field, before Tash was relieved by Kyle Beecher, who recorded the final out with the game-tying run on second base.

Cummins finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, while Morales was 2-for-5 with one RBI.

Justin Demé (1-4) took the loss for Sacramento State after pitching 4.1 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits, while walking four.

Sacramento State will play the final game of the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Hornet Field. A live audio broadcast of the game can be heard on www.hornetsports.com with Dylan McKenzie providing the play-by-play. To access the broadcast click on the Live Audio link at the top of the page and scroll down to baseball.