MENDONCA TOSSES GEM, BUT BASEBALL SHUTOUT, 1-0, AT UC RIVERSIDE

3/10/2012

Tanner Mendonca had a career-high 10 strikeouts but the Hornets lost, 1-0.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Sacramento State starting pitcher  Tanner Mendonca was superb but UC Riverside starter Eddie Orozco one-upped him by throwing a shutout as the Hornets lost, 1-0, to the Highlanders on Saturday night at the Riverside Sports Complex.

The Hornets (5-9) managed just three hits on Orozco and the Highlanders' (6-8) one run on six hits was enough for the win.

Mendonca allowed just one run on six hits and one walk with a career-high 10 strikeouts but Orozco did not surrender a run on three hits while tying the UC Riverside single-game school record with 15 strikeouts.

Freshman leadoff hitter Kyle Moses had two of the Hornets' three hits, including a two-out single in the ninth. But Orozco (1-3) struck out the final batter of the game to earn the win. Mendonca (2-2) suffered his second straight loss despite having a team-best 1.45 ERA and two complete games in four starts this season.

Mendonca struck out the side in the first inning and tallied two more in the second frame but UC Riverside scored its lone run of the game in the third inning. Mendonca forced the leadoff man to fly out but catcher Bart Steponovich singled to short in the next at-bat. He moved to second on a groundout and came home on a two-out single down the left field line by center fielder Devyn Bolasky.

Mendonca tallied at least one strikeout in every inning but the sixth.

Orozco only had one strikeout through the first two innings by struck out the side in the third. Moses' single to start the seventh inning ended Orozco's perfect game but the right-hander was not fazed and recorded four more strikeouts over the eighth and ninth innings.

Sacramento State and UC Riverside will meet in the final game of a three-game series at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

UC Riverside 1, Sacramento State 0 (Mar 10, 2012 at Riverside, CA)
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Sacramento State.... 000 000 000 - 0 3 0 (5-9)
UC Riverside........     001 000 00X - 1 6 0 (6-8)
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Pitchers: Sacramento State - Mendonca, Tanner and Chung, Derrick. UC Riverside - Orozco, Eddie
and Steponovich, Bart.
Win-Orozco, Eddie(3-1) Loss-Mendonca, Tanner(2-2) T-1:58 A-257
Weather: warm and clear