SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team split a doubleheader against Utah Valley at Hornet Field on Friday, winning game one, 7-5, before falling in game two, 9-6.
With the results of the day, the Hornets record moves to 18-13, while Utah Valley runs its record to 11-22.
In game one, the Hornets took a 3-0 lead, plating a single run in the second and a pair of runs in the third inning. Senior Jeff Roth hit a solo home run with one out in the second, while sophomore Derrick Chung provided a sac fly RBI and senior Blake Crosby contributed a RBI single in the third inning.
After Utah Valley pulled to within 3-1 in the sixth inning, the Hornets pushed three runs across the board after freshman Aaron Crouch connected on a two-out single, which was followed by three doubles by sophomore Brent Hottman, senior Hunter Martinez and Chung. Martinez' effort to center scored two runs, while Chung's to left plated the third run of the inning.
The Wolverines fought back though, scoring a pair of runs in the seventh and two more in the eight to make the score 6-5. The Hornets got a crucial insurance run in the bottom half of the inning, however, as Martinez scored on a passed ball to push the lead to 7-5, which was the final score.
Freshman Jesse Darrah (6-2) picked up the win, becoming the first Hornet to pick up six victories in a season since Ethan Katz (2004-05) accomplished the feat in 2005. He allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits in seven innings of work. Roth moved in from right field to the pitcher's mound in the ninth inning to pick up his third save. Kole Mickolio (1-3) picked up the loss for the Wolverines, allowing three runs on four hits in three innings of work.
Game two saw the Hornets take an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Chung was hit by a pitch, stole second, reached third on a ground out, and scored on a wild pitch. The Wolverines came back to take their first lead of the day in the top of the second, scoring a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead.
Utah Valley padded the lead with a run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings, which made the score 4-1, before the Hornets pushed a run across in the bottom of the seventh on a sac fly by Martinez. With the score 4-2 entering the top of the eighth, the Wolverines pushed four runs across on a grand slam by Cole Anderson to take an 8-2 lead.
Roth connected on his second home run on the day to center field in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 8-3, but Utah Valley got the run right back in the top of the ninth, taking a 9-3 lead into the bottom half of the inning. The Hornets made it interesting as the Hornets loaded the bases with one out, and scored their first run of the inning on a balk by Wolverine reliever Riley Gordon. Crosby then connected on a RBI single, which was followed by a sac fly RBI by Roth, pulling the Hornets to within three at 9-6 with two outs in the inning. But Utah Valley was able to record the final out before a two-out rally could be mounted, and the two teams split the day's action.
Utah Valley starter Justin Smith (4-3) threw a strong 6.1 inning outing, allowing two runs on just three hits while striking out seven. Riley Gordon earned the save, despite allowing four runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings. Sophomore Chris Baek (3-3) picked up the loss for the Hornets, allowing four runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits in 5.2 innings.
Chung led the Hornets offensively with a 4-for-8 performance at the plate, which included a double and two RBI. Martinez and Roth each provided three RBI to lead the club, while Crosby was able to connect on a hit in each game to run his team-long hit streak to 15 games.
The two teams will close out the four-game set with a doubleheader Saturday at Hornet Field. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., with game two to take place 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first contest.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team split a doubleheader against Utah Valley at Hornet Field on Friday, winning game one, 7-5, before falling in game two, 9-6.
