BASEBALL FALLS IN SEASON FINALE DOUBLEHEADER TO FRESNO STATE
5/16/2009
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team dropped a pair of games to the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday, dropping the team from postseason contention. Fresno State was victorious in game one 11-8 before posting a 7-6 victory in game two.
With the losses, the Hornets finish the season 27-27 overall and 8-14 in Western Athletic Conference play, while the Bulldogs improved to 28-27, 12-12 inside the WAC.
The Hornets entered the day knowing that a sweep of Fresno State would advance the club to the WAC Tournament, and any thing else would shut the team out of the tournament for the first time since rejoining the conference in 2006.
Things started well in game one, as Sacramento State held a 6-2 lead after six. The Hornets opened their scoring with a RBI groundout from sophomore Brent Hottman in the second, and took the lead for the first time in the fourth with a four run inning. Senior Blake Crosby started the scoring in the inning with a RBI fielder's choice groundout, and after junior Tim Wheeler walked to load the bases, junior Josh Powers cleared them with a double to left center field. The double gave Powers 26 on the season, which tied him with David Flores (2008) for the second most doubles in a season in school history.
The lead grew to 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth, as senior Jeff Roth produced a RBI double down the left field line to score Crosby, before Fresno State tied it in the top of the seventh on a grand slam off the bat of Tom Mendonca, making the score 6-6.
Sacramento State retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning, as with two out and the bases loaded, Wheeler drew a RBI walk, with Powers following right behind with a RBI hit by a pitch, giving the Hornets an 8-6 advantage.
But Fresno State came back in the ninth, as with a man on and one out, Dusty Robinson hit a home run to left field to tie the score at 8-8. Following a Mendonca single and a walk by Alan Ahmady, Brennan Gowens hit a three-run homer to right field, giving the Bulldogs an 11-8 lead and a victory that would clinch them a berth in the WAC Tournament.
Tom Harlan (2-0) picked up the win in relief for the Bulldogs, allowing no hits in 0.2 innings of work. Holden Sprague come on in the ninth for his second save of the series and fourth of the season. Junior Trevor York (0-2) picked up the loss for the Hornets, allowing three runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of work. Neither starter factored in the decision, with Hornet freshman Jesse Darrah allowing five runs on six hit in 6.1 innings of work, and his counterpart Josh Poytress lasting just 3.2 innings for the Bulldogs, allowing five runs, just one being earned, on six hits. Darrah and Poytress are both freshmen from Fowler HS in the Fresno area.
In game two, the Hornets fought back from a 5-1 deficit in the fifth, plating four runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the score at 5-5. With the bases loaded and one out, Roth started the rally with a RBI single up the middle, and was quickly followed by Powers, who singled to left field, pulling Sacramento State to within 5-3. With the bases still loaded and two down, freshman Justin Lamb hit a single to left center, which scored two runs to tie the score, but the Bulldogs were able to throw out the go-ahead run, Powers, at home to end the inning.
With the game still tied in the top of the seventh, Gavin Hedstrom and Issac Vivas each connected on solo home runs to give the Bulldogs a 7-5 edge. The Hornets pulled back to within one at 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out towering home run off the bat of Roth, his 11th of the season, but were unable to keep a rally alive.
Sprague picked up the win in relief for the Bulldogs allowing one run on one hit, the Roth home run, in two innings of work. Sophomore Chris Baek (4-6) picked up the loss for the Hornets, allowing two runs on four hits in 1.2 innings pitched. For the second straight game neither starter factored in the decision.
Offensively on the day, the Hornets were led by Crosby, who went 5-for-9 with two doubles and a RBI. Hottman, Roth, and senior Hunter Martinez each added three hits, while Powers ended the day 2-for-8 with six RBI.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team dropped a pair of games to the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday, dropping the team from postseason contention. Fresno State was victorious in game one 11-8 before posting a 7-6 victory in game two.
