BASEBALL HAS TWO EARLY LEADS, BUT FALLS TO NO. 1 ARIZONA
3/1/2008
TUCSON, Ariz. - The Sacramento State baseball team held early leads in the first and fourth innings, but No. 1 ranked Arizona was too much, as the Wildcats defeated the Hornets in game two of a three game series 15-7 on Saturday afternoon at Kindall Field.
With the loss, the Hornets fall to 1-4, while the Wildcats improve to 4-1.
The Hornets lit up the scoreboard in the top of the first, as senior Taylor Watanabe singled to lead off to game, and then advanced to third failed pick off throw by Arizona hurler David Coulon. Senior David Flores then provided an infield single, scoring Watanabe, to give Sacramento State a 1-0 advantage. Arizona responded with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second, as T.J. Steele singled to left field, stole second, and was brought home by Colt Sedbrook, who singled to right field. Sedbrook then scored on a triple by Robert Abel, who in turn scored on a RBI single to center field by Daniel Butler, making the score 3-1.
In the top of the fourth, the Hornets would retake the lead with a three-run inning. Flores starting things off with a leadoff double down the left field line, which was followed by a double from junior Gabe Jacobo, plating Flores. With one out, sophomore Tim Wheeler was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on for junior Blake Crosby, who doubled into the right field alley, scoring both runners, to give the Hornets the 4-3 lead. The Hornets had a chance to put more runs across the board, with runners on first and second with one out, but were unable to score any more.
This came back to haunt the Hornets, as Arizona came right back in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead. Steele doubled to lead off the inning, eventually scoring on a bunt single by Abel to tie the score at 4-4. Then with two runners on and one out, Bobby Coyle hit a pinch-hit triple, scoring Abel and Sedbrook, to make the score 6-4 Arizona. The damage in the inning was not done, however, as Jon Gaston singled, scoring Coyle, and then Gaston scored on a single by Brad Glenn, pushing the advantage to 8-4.
Sacramento State came right back in the top of the fifth, as senior Ryan Blair led off the inning with a double to right field, and scored on a throwing error by third baseman Dillion Baird, which not only put Flores on base, but advanced him to second base. Flores then moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a RBI sacrifice fly from senior Wes Oberlin, pulling the Hornets to within two at 8-6. From there, it was all Arizona, as the Wildcats went on to score seven unanswered runs to take a 15-6 lead. The Hornets pushed one run across the board in the top of the ninth, as Blair doubled to lead off the inning, Flores followed with a single that advanced Blair to third, and he was then brought home on a RBI groundout by Jacobo, making the final 15-7.
Junior Jose Ramirez started for the Hornets and threw three innings, giving up six hits and allowing five runs, all earned, picking up the loss. Flores went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI, reaching base in all five at bats. For the Wildcats, Coulon picked up the win, allowing six runs, four earned, on seven hits while striking out seven in five innings.
The two teams will round out the three-game weekend series with a contest at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Sunday morning.
TUCSON, Ariz.
