BASEBALL DROPS ANOTHER TOUGH DECISION IN NINTH, THIS TIME TO SAINT MARY'S, 5-4

3/23/2010

MORAGA, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team held a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, but fell to the Saint Mary's Gaels by a score of 5-4 on Tuesday, March 23.

With the loss, the Hornets fall to 6-12-1, while the Gaels improve to 6-9-1. For both team's, the game technically served as the second decision of the day, as the NCAA ruled that the March 10th contest that had been halted due to darkness before the top of the 13th must be ruled a 4-4 tie.

With the score tied 3-3 in the top of the eighth, junior Kirby Young slugged a one-out solo home run, his second homer of the season and in as many games, to give the team a 4-3 lead. The bottom of the ninth saw the Gaels get back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning to tie the score, and after the bases were loaded and one out was recorded, Brenden Kalfus took a 3-2 pitch inside for ball four, giving Saint Mary's the win.

Saint Mary's had opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as Troy Channing hit a solo home run to left off of Hornet junior starter Mike Guglielmo to take a 1-0 lead. Sacramento State got the run back in the top of the fourth, as junior Jake Chilton provided a RBI single up the middle, scoring Young, to tie the score at 1-1.

Sacramento State took its first lead of the contest in the top of the fifth, pushing two runs across the board. Senior Dan McCarthy led off the inning with a pinch hit single, stole second base, and scored on a RBI single by junior Trevor Paine. Two batters later, Young connected on a single to right field, scoring Paine from second to push the Hornet advantage to 3-1.

The Gaels tied the score in the bottom half of the inning, as Patrick Wisdom connecting on a two-run double to the wall in right-center to even the run tally at 3-3.

Freshman Patrick Keane (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Gaels, allowing one hit in one inning of work for his first collegiate win. Junior James Chamberlin (2-2) picked up the loss for the Hornets, as after pitching three scoreless innings, he allowed the back-to-back doubles to open the bottom of the ninth. Guglielmo pitched well in a spot start, allowing two runs on six hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Saint Mary's starter Martin Agosta did not factor into the decision, allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits in 4.2 innings of work.

Young led the Hornets with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with a pair of RBI and runs scored. Five other Hornets pitched in with a lone hit apiece. The Gaels were led by Mikey Reynolds, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.

Sacramento State opens up a three-game series at Cal State Northridge on Friday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.