BASEBALL SUFFERS TOUGH 2-1 DEFEAT TO SAN JOSE STATE
4/13/2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento State baseball team split a four-game weekend series with San Jose State, following a 2-1 Spartan victory on Sunday, April 13 at Hornet Field.
With the loss, the Hornets fall to 15-17 on the season, 10-5 in WAC play, and following Fresno State’s 8-0 victory over Louisiana Tech today, Sacramento State is now a half game behind the Bulldogs in the conference standings. San Jose State improved to 17-16 overall, 8-11 in the WAC, and took the season series from the Hornets five games to three.
The series finale between the two clubs was a pitchers dual, as the first run across the board in the contest did not occur until the sixth inning. Spartan outfielder Craig Hertler started the rally with a one-out single in the top half of the inning. The next batter, Kyle Bellows, then followed with a single to right field. On the play, the Hornets attempted to throw Hertler out at third base, only to have the throw get past the bag, allowing the run to score, giving San Jose State a 1-0 advantage.
The Hornets got the run back in the bottom of the seventh, as with one out senior Brian Boyd reached on an error. Junior Blake Crosby followed with a single to left field, and Boyd and Crosby each advanced a base following a wild pitch. That set the stage for senior Travis Kirkman, who hit a fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly RBI, scoring Boyd and tying the game at 1-1.
It would remain 1-1 until the top of the ninth, where Danny Stienstra, who went 12-for-18 (.667) in the series, singled to lead off the inning. The Hornets then brought in junior closer Jeff Roth in relief of senior starter Corey Weglin, who pitched eight strong innings, allowing just five hits. The first batter to face Roth, Corey Valine, sacrificed Stienstra over to second base. That brought up John Shaffer, who had came in as a defensive replacement in the eighth, who singled up the middle, past a diving effort by Hornet senior Taylor Watanabe, to score the run and give the Spartans the 2-1 lead.
Scott Sobczak, the Spartans starter who went the entire way, got a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick the victory. Sobczak (3-1) allowed eight hits, but gave up just one unearned run in the game, striking out six without allowing a walk. Weglin (0-2) pitched his heart out on what was the hottest day of the year so far, allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out four and walking three.
Junior Gabe Jacobo went 3-for-4 at the plate to pace the Hornets offensively, and was the only member of the Sacramento State team to record more than one hit. Hertler was 2-for-3, while Kyle Bellows was 2-for-4 to pace the Spartans.
Sacramento State returns to action on Tuesday, April 15, as the Hornets travel to Davis, Calif. to take on their rival, the UC Davis Aggies. First pitch of the Causeway Cup matchup is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif.
