BASEBALL EVENS SERIES WITH DARTMOUTH BEHIND LEITAO'S COMPLETE GAME
3/18/2012
Freshman Brennan Leitao threw a complete game and the Hornets defeated Dartmouth, 8-2.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team evened up a five-game series with Dartmouth at two games apiece after freshman starter Brennan Leitao threw his first career complete game and the Hornets defeated the Big Green, 8-2, on Sunday afternoon at John Smith Field.
The Hornets (8-11) improved to 7-5 at home after scoring eight runs on 11 hits with one error while the Big Green (2-5) lost after tallying two runs on just five hits with no errors.
Leitao, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound right-hander, earned the win with the Hornets' second complete game of the season after he gave up just one earned run with three strikeouts and one walk. The Irvine, Calif., native has recorded a quality start and a win in each of first two collegiate starts. In those two appearances, he has allowed just four runs (two earned) on 11 hits in 16.2 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks. His ERA as a starter is 1.08.
On Sunday against Dartmouth, Leitao threw first-pitch strikes to 19 batters, recorded 14 ground outs and forced two double plays.
It looked like the Hornets were going to need every bit of Leitao's strong start as the score was tied, 2-2, heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
But that was when the Sacramento State offense broke through against Dartmouth reliever Mike Dodakian. Dodakian recorded outs in the first two at-bats of the inning but sophomore Justin Higley's bunt single to third started a rally. Higley moved to second on freshman Scotty Burcham's single up the middle and Higley scored on senior Derrick Chung's single to right. Chung stole second and both he and Burcham came around on sophomore David Del Grande's single up the middle. After sophomore Will Soto drew a walk, freshman Rhys Hoskins smacked a double to right and drove home Del Grande. Senior Trevor Paine capped the scoring with a single to left that drove home both Soto and Hoskins.
Paine finished three RBIs while Hoskins went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Dartmouth's designated hitter, Dustin Slezer, had a team-high two hits, the only member of the Big Green to have more than one. The top five spots in the lineup for Dartmouth went a combined 0-for-19.
Dartmouth starting pitcher Louis Concato recorded a no-decision after giving up two runs on five hits in six innings.
The Hornets and Big Green will play the rubber match of the series at noon tomorrow.
