BASEBALL COMES BACK FROM TWO-RUN DEFICIT BUT FALLS TO PACIFIC

4/13/2010

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team came back from a two-run deficit, scoring runs in the third and fourth innings, but fell to the Pacific Tigers, who pushed three runs across in their final two at bats, 5-2 on Tuesday night.

With the loss, the Hornets fall to 11-17-1, while the Tigers improved to 20-11 on the season. With the Pacific victory, the two teams split the season series, winning one game apiece.

Pacific took an early lead, 2-0, as Nick Longmire hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first and Allen Riley collected a RBI single in the bottom of the second.

The Hornets fought back, as in the top of the third, senior Justin Mezzaneras took a hanging breaking ball on a 2-2 count and hammered it over the left field wall for his second home run of the year, pulling the Hornets to within one at 2-1. In the top of the fourth, freshman Andrew Ayers collected a RBI infield single, but the Hornets would strand the bases loaded, leaving the score tied at 2-2.

The score remained deadlocked until the bottom of the seventh, as J.B. Brown and John Haberman connected on back-to-back doubles, and Riley provided his second RBI of the day with a groundout, giving Pacific a 3-2 lead. The lead increased to 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth as Brian Martin connected on a RBI single, and Brown hit another double, his third of the game, to drive home an additional run. Sacramento State was sent down in order in the top of the ninth, giving Pacific the victory.

Hunter Carnevale (2-3) got the win in relief for the Tigers, allowing no runs and just three hits while pitching the final 5.1 innings. He struck out five and walked just one.

Logan Todd (1-3) picked up the loss for the Hornets, but pitched well, getting the Hornets out of a first and second with one out jam by inducing a double-play ball by Haberman, who entered the game batting .439. The Hornets threw six pitchers, with Todd throwing the longest, allowing one run on three hits in 2.2 innings of work, striking out one.

Sophomore Jesse Darrah started and threw one inning, allowing a run, and then gave way to senior Jose Ramirez, who allowed one unearned run in two innings. Freshman Brandon Creel recorded just one out, walking and hitting a batter before giving way to Todd, who forced the double play. Todd was relieved by junior Mike Guglielmo, who retired the only three batters he faced. Junior James Chamberlin pitched the eighth, allowing two runs on three hits.

Ayers and junior Trevor Bloom led the Hornets with 2-for-4 performances at the plate, with Bloom posting two doubles on the evening. Junior Trevor Paine went 0-for-3, and saw his hitting streak end at 14 straight games.

Brown went 3-for-4 to lead Pacific with three doubles, while six other Tigers added one hit apiece.

Sacramento State returns to action at home on Friday, April 16 as they open Western Athletic Conference play with a four-game series against Hawai'i. First pitch of game one against the Rainbows is set for 2 p.m. on Friday.