Randy Blood and Tony Festa each hit home runs to lead UC Riverside to a 6-2 win over the Sacramento State baseball team Sunday afternoon at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Hornets fell to 13-13 on the year while the Highlanders raised their record to 20-4.UC Riverside got on the board first when Blood hit a solo homer to center field in the second inning. The Highlanders added another run in the fourth after an RBI double by Blood. Festa made it a 4-0 contest in the fifth after driving a pitch over the right field wall with a man on.
Sacramento State got their first run in the sixth when junior Jesse Schmidt scored on a failed attempt at a double play. Schmidt had led of the inning with a walk and then reached second on a single by sophomore Matt Wilson.
The Highlanders made it 5-1 in the bottom of the inning when Matt Cunningham hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Blood from third.
The Hornets added another run in the seventh to make it 5-2 but could not get any closer. Sophomore Everet Rincon led off the inning with a single and then stole second base. Junior Chris Kinsey followed with a single, advancing Rincon to third. With one out, junior Mikela Olsen grounded out to first to give the Hornets their final run of the contest.
Jaymie Torres (5-0) earned the win for the Highlanders after allowing only two runs on eight hits in six and one-third innings of work.
Junior Marshall Plouffe (4-2) was tagged with the loss after surrendering six runs on 10 hits while striking out five and walking none in six and one-third innings. The loss ended Plouffe’s three-start winning streak.
Rincon (2-for-5) and Wilson (2-for-2) led the Hornet offense while Ryan Harvey (3-for-4) and Blood (3-for-4) keyed UC Riverside.
Sacramento State will return to Hornet Field to host Cal on Tuesday, March 25, at 2 p.m.
