BASEBALL SURRENDERS 12 UNANSWERED RUNS IN LOSS AT PACIFIC
2/6/2007
STOCKTON, Calif. - In the bottom of the eighth inning, Pacific’s Mike Walker hit a three-run homer to lead the Tigers to a 16-10 victory over Sacramento State on Tuesday afternoon at Klein Family Field.
Pacific (2-2) erased a seven-run deficit heading into the bottom of sixth, scoring 12 unanswered runs in its final three innings at the plate. After Walker's homer, the Tigers added four more runs in the inning with Adam Ching, John Joines, Justin Baum, and Walker all recording RBIs.
Cyrus Sarraf (0-2) took the loss for the Hornets (0-4) after pitching 0.1 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on one hit.
The Hornet pitching staff combined to allow 16 runs on 11 hits while walking a total of 12 batters. Sacramento State also committed three errors in the game.
The comeback began in the bottom of the sixth as Pacific loaded the bases after a double from Adam Ching and back-to-back singles from Joe Oliveira and Baum.
With Jason Haar at the plate after doing double duty on the mound, the pitcher and designated hitter cut into the Hornets’ lead with a two-run double to right center, making the score 10-6. The Tigers added their seventh run when Baum crossed the plate after Gabe Jacobo made an unassisted out at first and
turned the double play to Patrick Cummins, cutting off Haar on his way to second. It appeared Baum did not touch the plate on the play coming from third, but the umpire crew scored the questionable run.
In the seventh, the Tigers came within one run of the Hornets, 10-9, when the second batter of the inning, Zach Chamberlin triple down the right field line. The Tigers' added their ninth run with Chamberlin scoring from third on a balk.
Sacramento State got hot early in the game, scoring 10 runs in five innings, but was held scoreless by Pacific’s pitching staff the rest of the way.
Haar (1-0) earned the victory for Pacific after pitching 3.2 innings and holding the Hornets to just one run on four hits.
After a shaky start, freshman starter Tommy Gonzales settled down and left the game
with a 7-3 lead after pitching 3.2 innings. He walked six batters and struck out four before giving way to junior right-hander Mitch Lively.
At the plate, Pacific was led by Ching and Baum, who both recorded multiple hits for Pacific.
The Hornets' offense was provided by Blair's 2-for-5, three-RBI performance, which included two runs scored, one double and his first career home run as a Hornet. Cummins went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and one run scored. Jacobo was 3-for-5 from the plate with a double, and freshman centerfielder Tim Wheeler was 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI.
Sacramento State took its first lead of the game, 5-2, in the top of third after scoring five runs on five hits in the inning. With senior second baseman Gary Johnson at the plate and one out, Johnson connected on a deep ball to the warning track that dropped over the shoulder of Murray. With two runners in scoring position, Cummins kept his at-bat alive, and with two strikes against him, hit a shot into center field that scored Brian Boyd. Johnson scored the Hornets’ second run on a balk.
Blair then brought home Cummins on an RBI single to center field. With Blair at second, a fielder's choice from Flores put runners on the corners. Flores then took off from first and forced Pacific into an
attempted pick off, allowing Blair to steal from third for the fourth run of the inning. Sacramento State then scored its fifth run when freshman Tim Wheeler’s RBI single to center plated Flores.
The Hornets extended their lead to 7-2 in the top of the fourth when Blair hit his first career home run in a Sacramento State uniform over the right field wall, also scoring Boyd.
In the top of the fifth a two-out, two-run double dropped down the left field line off the bat of Boyd to extend the Hornets’ lead to 9-3. That wasn’t all for the inning, a two-out double down the left field line
resulted in Cummins’ second RBI of the game as Boyd crossed the plate for the third time.
Pacific took had an early 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first with Ching crossing the plate after Gonzales walked four batters. In his first career start, the Glendora, Calif., native struggled early with his control, but with one out and the bases loaded struck out Murray before Chamberlin lined out to
right field to end the inning.
Catcher Kurt Wideman doubled the Tigers advantage in the bottom of the second, leading off the inning with a home run over the left field wall. Gonzales then settled down again, retiring the next three batters in order.
Sacramento State will now play its home opener with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, hosting San Francisco to start a three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday at Hornet Field, with series ending at the College of San Mateo on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start.
