HONOLULU, O'ahu - The Sacramento State baseball team was swept in a doubleheader on Saturday by Hawai'i, in the Hornets' first Western Athletic Conference series of the season. The Rainbows took game one, 3-2, and won game two, 5-3.
Hawai'i improved to 17-14 (3-0 WAC) while Sacramento State fell to 9-23 (0-3 WAC).
Game One: L, 3-2
Sacramento State starter Brandon Sandoval pitched a complete game (six innings) and allowed just three runs on four hits but the Hornets' offense could not deliver as Hawai'i was victorious in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, 3-2.
The Rainbows' starter Conner Little (3-1) earned the win after allowing one run on three hits in 5.2 innings. Lenny Linsky earned his fifth save of the season after pitching 1.1 innings. Sandoval (0-2) was saddled with the loss despite his strong outing.
Dax Turner went 2-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Hornets while Hawai'i had three players each tally an RBI.
Game Two: L, 5-3 Sacramento State was down, 5-0, late in the game but the Hornets tacked on three runs in the eighth inning but it wasn't enough as head coach Reggie Christiansen's team lost, 5-3, in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Hawai'i.
Hawai'i jumped out to a 4-0 lead after just two innings and scored another run in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-0 lead.
In the eighth inning, however, David Del Grande led off with a double to left and Justin Higley followed with a single to short. Del Grande scored on a wild pitch in the next at-bat and Higley came around on Blake Miller's sac fly to left. A.J. Nunez pushed Derrick Chung, who reached on a walk earlier, across on a sac fly to center. But Nunez's RBI, would be the last run in the game by either team as Hawai'i.
Hawai'i starter Jarrett Arakawa (3-2) earned the win after allowing three runs on 11 hits in seven innings with one walk and nine strikeouts. Sacramento State starter Dallas Chadwick (2-3) took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits in four innings with two walks and one strikeout. Sacramento State reliever Brandon Creel gave up one run on three hits in four innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Hornets and Rainbows meet again on Sunday in the final game of the four-game set.
