Saint Mary’s pounded out seven runs and 13 hits as the Gaels defeated the Sacramento State baseball team, 7-3, Sunday afternoon at Hornet Field. The Hornets fell to 6-6 on the year while the Gaels raised their record to 4-7. The contest began as a pitching duel between senior Steve Cuckovich and Justin Sloan of Saint Mary’s as the duo did not allow a run through five innings. Sloan did not allow a hit in the contest until junior John Acha hit a base hit through the left side in the sixth inning.
Saint Mary’s opened a 3-0 lead in the sixth when the Gaels got RBI base hits from Bryan Byrne and Mike Harris with the bases loaded. Adam Bellows opened the inning with a base hit to left and James Gualke reached on a walk. Tim Spooner followed with a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. In the next at-bat, Byrne drove in Bellows with a single to right field. Cuckovich managed to strike out Nick Conti and Jeff Cunningham swinging but Harris drove in two more runs with a single to right field.
Sacramento State answered in the bottom half of the inning with a three-run home run by junior Mikela Olsen. The Oakhurst, Calif., native is now tied with junior Chris Kinsey with two homers on the season and leads the squad with 12 RBI. Senior Tim Reimer reached on an error by shortstop Mike Harris to lead off the inning, then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Sloan. With one out, Acha hit a single to left field and Reimer attempted to score when leftfielder Mike Engers’ throw deflected off of Conti at the plate and rolled back into the infield. Reimer was thrown out at home after Bryne picked up the ball at third and flipped the ball to Conti for the tag. With two outs, Kinsey singled to right field and Olsen followed with a towering shot over the right field wall to even the score.
Saint Mary’s recorded the final four runs of the contest in the seventh with four-consecutive hits with two outs. After Gilbert Gil flew out and Bellows grounded out, Gaulke and Spooner hit back-to-back singles. Both runners advanced a base when freshman Joe Guntz was called for a balk by the home plate umpire when stopping his motion after sophomore catcher Matt Wilson called for time and ran to the mound. The home plate umpire ignored the time call and called Guntz for the balk. In the next at-bat, Byrne drove in both runners with a single to center. After junior Andy Mohr came in to relieve Guntz, Conte hit a two-run home run to left center field to increase the Gael’s lead to 7-3.
Olsen (2-for-4, 3 RBI) and Kinsey (2-for-4) were the only Hornets to finish with multiple hits. Freshman Mel Cuckovich did not allow a run in two innings of relief to end the contest for Sacramento State. It marked the first time that a pair of brothers have pitched in the same game for the Hornets.
Sacramento State will next host San Francisco State at Hornet Field on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. before travelling to UC Santa Barbara for a three-game series with the Gauchos this weekend at Ceasar Uyesaka Stadium this weekend.
Saint Mary’s (4-7) 000 034 000 - 7 13 2
Sacramento State (6-6) 000 030 00x - 3 6 0
WP - Dane Drobrinich (2-2)
LP - Joe Guntz (0-1)
Justin Sloan, Dane Dobrinich and Nick Conte; Steve Cuckovich, Joe Guntz, Andy Mohr, Mel Cuckovich and Matt Wilson.
TOP HITTERS- SMC- Brian Byrne 3x4, Tim Spooner 3x5. SAC - Mikela Olsen 2x4, HR, Chris Kinsey 2x4.
