BASEBALL POSTS 22 HITS, ALLOWS JUST EIGHT, IN 19-5 TRIUMPH OVER UNLV

2/20/2010

LAS VEGAS - The Sacramento State baseball team had six players post multi-hit games and five players drive in multiple runs in a 19-5 victory over the UNLV Rebels on Saturday, Feb. 20

With the victory, the Hornets improve to 2-0, while the Rebels fall to 0-2. The 19 runs were the most scored by the Hornets since posting a 19-7 victory at New Mexico State on April 7, 2006.

Sacramento State opened the scoring in the top of the second, as senior Josh Powers collected a RBI single, driving in junior Brent Hottman, who singled himself earlier in the inning, to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. The lead grew to 4-0 in the third, as the Hornets had three runs cross the plate. Junior Kirby Young singled to lead off the inning, and after two wild pitch advancements, was brought in from third on a RBI single by junior Trevor Bloom. The next batter was junior Derrick Chung, who doubled to left, scoring Bloom to make the score 3-0. The final tally of the inning came with two outs, as junior Kyle Baskett singled to center, plating Chung and pushing the lead to 4-0.

After UNLV closed the gap to 4-1 in the bottom of the inning on a RBI groundout, the Hornets would break the game open in the top of the fifth, pushing four runs across the board. Chung and Hottman walked to lead off the inning, and Baskett reached on a fielder's choice, loading the bases with nobody out. After a strike out and a fielders choice groundout that forced Chung out at home, junior Jake Chilton walked, scoring Hottman, and Young cleared the bases with a three-run triple, giving the Hornets an 8-1 edge.

The Rebels scored pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull back to within 8-3, but they could not stop the Hornets offensively. Over the next two innings, the Hornets pushed nine runs across home plate, taking a 17-3 lead. Sacramento State scored five in the top of the sixth, getting a RBI single from Baskett, a RBI bunt single from freshman Blake Miller, a two-run double from Powers and a RBI single by Chilton. Four more runs came around to score in the seventh, as Chung blasted a solo homer to left field with one out, which was followed by three straight singles by Hottman, Baskett and Miller to load the bases. Powers then produced the second bases clearing triple of the game for the Hornets, pushing the lead to 17-3.

The top of the eight saw two more Hornet runs cross the board, as senior Justin Mezzaneras opened the inning with a pinch-hit double down the left field line, and came around to score on a RBI double by Derrick Chung. Two batters later, Baskett uncorked a double of his own to right field, scoring Chung to increase the lead to 19-3. UNLV collected two runs, only one earned, in the bottom of the eighth, accounting for the final margin of 19-5.

Having all the run support he needed, junior Brandon Sandoval (1-0) cruised to the victory, allowing three runs, just one earned, on three hits in five innings of work. Freshman Brandon Creel and senior Robert Butler each posted shutout innings out of the bullpen, striking out three batters between them. Stephen Singer (0-1) picked up the loss for the Rebels, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits in four innings.

Powers paced the Hornets with six RBI, and was 3-for-6 at the plate with a double and a triple. Baskett collected four hits, including a double, while posting three RBI, while Chung went 3-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI, and four runs scored. All told 11 of the 13 batters the Hornets sent to the plate recorded at least one hit.

UNLV was held to eight hits as a club, and were led by Nolan Clark, who went 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and two runs scored. Of the five runs scored by UNLV, three were batted in, none of which came on a clean hit.

The two teams close out the three game set tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. with freshman righthander Jason Hampton scheduled to start for the Hornets.