BASEBALL DROPS FIRST DOUBLEHEADER OF THE YEAR AGAINST SAINT MARY'S
3/7/2009
MORAGA, Calif. - The Sacramento State Baseball team fell in both games of a Saturday doubleheader against the Saint Mary’s Gaels, dropping game one 7-6 and game two 10-2.
With the losses, the Hornets fall to 1-7 on the season, while the Gaels improve to 9-2.
Game one saw the Hornets open the scoring in the top of the second, as juniors Dan McCarthy and Josh Powers provided back-to-back singles, allowing sophomore Derrick Chung to execute a RBI safety squeeze that scored McCarthy to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. The lead would grow to 4-0 in the top of the fourth, as with a runner on second and one out, McCarthy laced a double to right field, giving the Hornets runners on second and third. Chung got his second RBI of the game on a groundout, which was followed by a RBI double by senior Hunter Martinez and a RBI single by senior Blake Crosby.
The Gaels got all four runs back with one swing as Ryan Young hit a grand slam off of Hornet starter, sophomore Chris Baek, to tie the score at 4-4.
The score would remain tied until the top of the sixth, when the Hornets would regain the lead once again on a RBI single by Crosby that plated Chung to make the score 5-4. The Hornets added more insurance in the top of the eighth, as Crosby came through with his third RBI single of the game, again scoring Chung, to make the score 6-4.
Saint Mary’s, however, would mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth against Hornet senior closer Eric Fregosi. With one down, Kyle Jensen hit a solo home run to bring the Gaels a run closer at 6-5. Ryan Mulligan followed with a double, and was immediately brought home on a RBI single by Troy Channing to tie the score at 6-6. With runners on first and second and two outs, pinch hitter Justin Fazio produced a RBI single up the middle to give the Gaels the 7-6 victory.
Fregosi (0-1) picked up the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in 0.2 innings of work. Baek went three innings, allowing four runs, and was followed by junior Tommy Elrod and senior Jeff Roth, who allowed no runs on four hits in five innings of work combined. Jimmy Munill (1-0) picked up the win, pitching the final 3.2 innings, allowed one unearned run on two hits while striking out six.
Game two saw the Gaels score three runs in the first on a home run by Channing, before the Hornets would come back to score two runs in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 3-2. With nobody out in the inning, Roth, who was the designated hitter after throwing two innings in game one, hit his first career home run, scoring McCarthy, who had led off the inning with an infield single. to pull the Hornets to within one.
But Saint Mary’s would add three runs in the bottom of the inning, as Young hit a two-run double to center, which was followed by a RBI single by Greg Ditmer, to give the Gaels back a comfortable advantage at 6-2. They would add four more insurance runs an inning later in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach, and account for the final margin of 10-2.
Freshman hurler Jesse Darrah (1-2) picked up the loss for the Hornets, allowing six runs, all earned, on 10 hits while striking out six batters in 4.2 innings. Scott Schneider (2-0) picked up the win for the Gaels, allowing two runs on five hits in seven strong innings.
Junior Tim Wheeler led the Hornets on the day with a 4-for-7 performance at the plate, which included two doubles. Crosby finished the day 3-for-8 with three RBI, while McCarthy and Powers each added three hits apiece.
Channing led the Gaels with a 5-for-8 day at the plate, which included five RBI and four runs scored. Young went 2-for-9, but produced six RBI on the day.
The Hornets and Gaels will play game three of the series on Sunday, March 8 at Hornet Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. with Hornet sophomore righthander Brandon Sandoval scheduled to do battle with righthander Taylor Reid (1-1) of the Gaels.
MORAGA, Calif. - The Sacramento State Baseball team fell in both games of a Saturday doubleheader against the Saint Mary’s Gaels, dropping game one 7-6 and game two 10-2.
