BASEBALL TAKES SERIES LEAD WITH 7-5 WIN OVER UC DAVIS
3/9/2007
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The top five hitters in the Sacramento State lineup combined for eight hits and drove in five runs to help the Hornets to a 7-5 win over UC Davis on Friday at Hornet Field.
The win improved Sacramento State to 5-11 on the season and gave the team its third win in its last four games. The Aggies dropped to 4-11 and have now lost five of their last six.
Sacramento State struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Ryan Blair singled to right scoring Patrick Cummins and later crossed the plate on a wild pitch. UC Davis, however, took the lead in the third inning with three runs. After a leadoff walk, Sacramento State starter Alvaro Orozco recorded two outs but allowed back-to-back doubles from Daniel Descalso and Aaron Hanke. A single from Jacob Jeffries scored Hanke to give the team its third run.
In the fourth inning, Travis Kirkman singled to left advancing Cummins to third. Cummins later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3. The Hornets took the lead in the fifth two-out, two-RBI single from Cummins to make the score, 5-3. The team added on another run in the sixth with a solo home run from sophomore Gabe Jacobo and an insurance run in the seventh with another single from Kirkman.
Hornet starter Alvaro Orozco notched his second consecutive strong showing, throwing 7.0 innings and allowing three runs while striking out three. Orozco, who improved to 2-2, on the season, gave way to Mitch Lively to start the eighth inning.
Lively did not allow a run in the eighth, but worked out of trouble in the ninth to seal the win. In the inning, Ryan Royster opened with a single to left center and moved to second on a single from Justin Schafer. Michael Jacobellis moved the runners up a base with a bunt and Brandon Oliver chopped a ball back to Lively to score a run. With two outs, Descalso recorded his second double of the game to score Schafer and make the score, 7-5. Lively, however, struck Hanke out looking to end the game.
Offensively, freshman Tim Wheeler collected a career-high three hits to pace Sacramento State. The Hornets also had production from the top five in the their lineup as Cummins finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scores, Kirkman was 2-for-5 with an RBI, Ryan Blair was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI, Jacobo added a hit and an RBI, and junior Jeff Hannah was 2-for-4 with a run.
UC Davis’ Bryan Evans was dealt the loss after giving up five earned runs in 4.2 innings. The Aggie offense was led by Descalso and Hanke, who each had three hits.
The three-game series will continue on Saturday but will shift locales. Saturday’s game will be played at Dobbins Stadium on the UC Davis campus beginning at 1 p.m. The series will be back at Hornet Field on Sunday at 1 p.m.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
