CHILTON AND NUNEZ LEAD HORNETS TO 5-4 COMEBACK WIN OVER PACIFIC

3/16/2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Junior A.J. Nunez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth and fellow junior Jake Chilton came through with a game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth, bringing the Sacramento State baseball team back from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Pacific Tigers by a score of 5-4 on Tuesday, March 16.

With the victory, the Hornets improve to 6-8 on the season, while the Tigers fall to 10-6.

Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Chilton led off with a single to center field, and eventually stole second to give the Hornets a runner in scoring position. Following a strikeout, Nunez took the first pitch he saw from Casey Neimeyer and hammered it over the left-center field wall for his first home run of the season, tying the score at 4-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Justin Lamb led off and looked to have won the game, as he hit the first pitch he saw well out of the ballpark, but just inches foul. The second pitch was then smashed into left-center for a double, giving the Hornets the winning run in scoring position. After junior Trevor Paine walked, the Hornets attempted a bunt to move the runner to third, but Lamb was forced out on the play at third, giving the Hornets runners on first and second with one out. Senior Justin Mezzaneras pinch ran for Paine at second, and after junior Kyle Baskett walked to move Mezzaneras to third, Chilton connected on a deep fly ball to left field that was caught by the Tigers Matt Fuson. The ball was hit deep enough, however, to score Mezzaneras and give the Hornets the win in walk off fashion.

Pacific had scored the opening run of the contest in the top of the second, as Mike Walker hit a home run to right field, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The Hornets tied it in the bottom half of the inning as junior Derrick Chung doubled to left, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and was driven home on a RBI groundout by Lamb. The Tiger lead then grew to 3-1 in the top of the fourth, as Walker singled to lead off the inning and J.B. Brown hit a home run to right.

The Tigers scored an additional run in the top of the fifth, getting a bases loaded RBI from Matthew Carvutto, who was hit by a pitch, making the score 4-1.  Sacramento State got one run back in the bottom half of the inning, as Lamb doubled to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a deep fly out by Paine, and scored on freshman Blake Miller's RBI groundout.

James Chamberlin (2-0) picked up the win, after pitching a perfect 1-2-3 ninth inning. In a staff outing, the Hornets threw six pitchers, with the final four (freshman Jason Hampton, seniors Tommy Elrod and Trevor York, Chamberlin) combining to allow just two base runners over the last four frames of the contest. Robbie Richardson (0-1) was saddled with the loss for the Tigers, allowing one run on one hit, walking two without striking out a batter.

Chilton led Sacramento State with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, while Lamb went 2-for-4. Four other Hornets added a single hit apiece. Brown led the Tigers with a 3-for-4 day, finishing a triple short of the cycle while driving in two runs.

Sacramento State returns to action this weekend, as they travel to Tucson to face Arizona for a three-game series. Friday's contest is scheduled for 7 p.m., and all three games in the series will be broadcast live on www.hornetsports.com with assistant media relations director J.D. Fox providing the play-by-play.