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Josh Cushman’s pinch-hit single in the ninth inning proved to be the game winner as Dartmouth rallied to defeat the Sacramento State baseball team, 13-9, Sunday afternoon at Hornet Field. The start of the contest was delayed one hour and 24 minutes due to rain. Sacramento State fell to 10-11 on the year while the Big Green raised their record to 3-2.Dartmouth led throughout the game until the Hornets rallied for eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 9-8 lead. With one out in the inning, junior Chris Kinsey reached on an error by third baseman Josh Bailey and then advanced to second on a balk by Brian Gattis. In the next at-bat, junior Mikela Olsen was hit by a pitch and both runners advanced a base after a wild pitch by Gattis. Junior Jesse Schmidt followed with a two-run single to right field. Gattis would then commit two balks, walk sophomore Bret LeVier and hit sophomore Matt Wilson to load the bases. Freshman Brian Blauser followed with a bases clearing double to left center and then scored on the play after a throwing error to third base by Gattis. Nick Peay entered in relief and allowed an infield single by junior John Acha and a walk to sophomore Everet Rincon to put runners on first and second with only one out. In the next at-bat, junior Cliff Hinkle tied the contest with a pinch-hit double to left center. With Rincon on third, Kinsey followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Hornets their first lead of the contest.
In the top of the ninth, Dartmouth rallied for four runs to give the Big Green their second-consecutive victory over the Hornets. After junior James Wheeler loaded the bases with two walks and a single, sophomore Warren Rosebrock entered the contest and allowed an RBI single to Cooper Chapin to tie the game. Cushman followed with the game-winning single to right field and Scott Shirrell added a two-run single to left before Cushman scored the final run of the afternoon on a wild pitch by freshman Mel Cuckovich.
Peay (1-0) earned the win for the Big Green despite allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts in an inning and one-third of work. Wheeler (0-1) earned the loss for the Hornets.
Blauser (three RBI) and Schmidt (2-for-4) led the Hornet offense while Ed Lucas and Brian Zerhellan each recorded three hits to lead the Big Green.
Sacramento State and Darthmouth will play the final game of the four-game series on Monday, March 17, at 2 p.m. The Hornets will then host Minnesota for a two-game series beginning on Tuesday, March 18, at 2 p.m.
