IRVINE, Calif. - Sacramento State scored twice in the ninth inning but it wasn't enough and the Hornets lost, 9-7, on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series at Anteater Stadium.
The Hornets dropped to 4-12 on the season while the Anteaters improved to 12-1 with the series sweep.
Sacramento State starter Sam Kuykendall (0-3) took the loss while UC Irvine starter Crosby Slaught (3-0) earned the win. Brian Hernandez tallied his third save of the season.
Down 2-0 heading into the top of the fourth inning the Hornets were able to tie up the game.
Eli Davis led off with a walk and moved to third when
Hunter Adrian ripped a double to right field. Both came home to score on
Kirby Young's double to left center.
But the tie was short lived as UC Irvine scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth inning.
UC Irvine led 9-3 heading into the eighth inning but Sacramento State would try and rally.
In the eighth the Hornets scored on
Blake Miller's double down the left field line and
David Del Grande's ground out to short. They tacked on two more runs in the ninth inning on
Andrew Ayers' single and Young's doubble to left but they fell short as UC Irvine coerced a ground out and a foul out to end the game.
The Hornets had seven runs on nine hits with no errors while the Anteaters had nine runs on 13 hits and no errors.
Sacramento State will begin a nine-game homestand over the next two weeks. Sacramento State will play Minnesota first, with games on Tuesday and Wednesday at John Smith Field. Cal State Northridge and Utah Valley both come to Sacramento for three-game sets and a single game against Pacific caps it off.
UC Irvine 9, Sacramento State 7 (Mar 13, 2011 at Irvine, Calif.)
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Sacramento State.... 000 201 022 - 7 9 0 (4-12)
UC Irvine........... 101 310 30X - 9 13 0 (12-1)
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Pitchers: Sacramento State - Kuykendall, Sam;
Chamberlin, James(5);
Sandoval, Brandon(7).
UC Irvine - Slaught, Crosby; Lines, Andy(6); Whitehouse, Matt(7); Ferragamo, Phillip(8);
Hernandez, Brian(9).
Win-Slaught, Crosby(3-0) Save-Hernandez, Brian(3) Loss-Kuykendall, Sam(0-3) T-2:53 A-662
Weather: 64 degrees, 8 mph SSW
Slaught faced 2 batters in the 6th.
Whitehouse faced 2 batters in the 8th.
