BASEBALL’S STELLAR SEASON ENDS WITH EXTRA INNINGS LOSS IN WAC TOURNAMENT TITLE GAME
5/27/2012
Senior Derrick Chung was one of four Hornets named to the WAC all-tournament team.
MESA, Ariz. – The Sacramento State baseball team battled to the 13th inning against Fresno State in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship game, but the Bulldogs came out on top, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at Hohokam Park.
The Hornets (31-28) end their season after tallying three runs on 14 hits with no errors while the Bulldogs (30-26) advance to the NCAA Tournament after scoring four runs on nine hits with three errors.
Sacramento State won its first WAC regular season title earlier this year after finishing 11-7 in league play and nearly pulled out its first WAC Tournament title as well.
It was a pitching duel early, with Sacramento State starter Dallas Chadwick and Fresno State starter Thomas Harlan going head-to-head.
Chadwick allowed just one hit through the first six innings while the Hornets were able to scrape together single runs in two different innings. Derrick Chung drove in a run on a single in the third and Will Soto tallied an RBI on a ground ball out in the fourth.
Fresno State did most of its damage with three runs on four hits, including two doubles, in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead. On Saturday night, the Bulldogs also took the lead in the seventh with a four-run inning.
Trailing, 3-2, the Hornets answered with a single run on David Del Grande’s groundout in the eighth to tie the score, 3-3.
The score was still tied, 3-3, with two runners on and just one out in the bottom of the ninth for Fresno State. Senior R.J. Davis, the Hornets' closer, got Bulldog shortstop Chris Mariscal to line out to third and Will Soto doubled off Fresno State catcher Austin Wynns at second base.
Both teams were scoreless in extra innings until the bottom of the 13th, as with one down following a walk, Wynns singled to give the Bulldogs runners on 1st and 2nd. The next batter, Justin Luplow, provided the game-winning hit, a single to right which scored Daniel Moultrie to close the ballgame.
Neither starter factored in the decision, but both had strong showings for their respective clubs. Chadwick pitched seven strong innings on 82 pitches, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out four without walking a batter. Harlan threw seven innings as well, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits with nine strikeouts without surrendering a walk. Chadwick also started the Hornets' first game of the tournament, throwing 98 pitches in the Hornets' 15-5 win over Nevada on Thursday.
Davis (1-2) took the loss after giving up one run on four hits in 5.1 innings. His previous high this season was two innings pitched. Fresno State reliever J.D. Salles (2-1) earned the win after throwing the final 2.2 innings while giving up just one hit and one walk - the only walk surrendered by the Bulldogs all game.
Trevor Paine and Andrew Ayers each had three hits while Soto had two more, hitting a team-high .474 in the tournament. Chung tied the Sacramento State single-game record with seven at-bats.
Fresno State 4, Sacramento State 3 (May 27, 2012 at Mesa, Ariz.)
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Sacramento State.... 001 100 010 000 0 - 3 14 0 (31-28)
Fresno State........ 000 000 300 000 1 - 4 9 3 (30-26)
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Pitchers: Sacramento State - Chadwick, Dallas; Davis, R.J.(8) and . Fresno State -
Harlan,Thomas; Haley,Justin(8); Salles,JD(11) and .
Win-Salles,JD(2-1) Loss-Davis, R.J.(1-2) T-3:29 A-584
Weather: 78F, no wind
Game: 12WAC11
Game/Tournament Notes:
- The Hornets had not played into the 13th inning of a game since Feb. 9, 2002, when they won 5-2 at Hawai’i.
- It was Sacramento State's first appearance in the WAC title game.
- The 13-inning game was the longest in WAC Tournament history (229 total games).
- Sacramento State tallied 60 hits over four WAC Tournament games, scoring 32 runs.
- The Hornets have played 11 WAC Tournament games over four seasons and have met Fresno State in six of those contests (1-5).
- Fresno State has won six of the last seven WAC Tournament titles.
WAC All-Tournament Team:
MVP - Jordan Luplow, Fresno State Brent Hottman, Sacramento State
Austin Wynns, Fresno State
Alex Williams, Louisiana Tech Derrick Chung, Sacramento State
Tanner Rust, New Mexico State
Trent Garrison, Fresno State David Del Grande, Sacramento State
Aaron Judge, Fresno State
Jordan Luplow, Fresno State Dallas Chadwick, Sacramento State
Thomas Harlan, Fresno State
