Arizona pounded out 21 runs and 14 hits (including seven home runs) as the Wildcats defeated the Sacramento State baseball team, 21-13, Monday morning at a windy Hornet Field. The Hornets dropped to 28-19 on the year while the Wildcats raised their record to 31-16. Both teams, who combined for 59 runs and 58 hits in two games this season, took advantage of 20 m.p.h. winds blowing out during the contest.Sacramento State jumped out to an early 5-1 lead after scoring three runs in the first and two in the second. In the first inning, junior Jesse Schmidt hit a two-run homer to right center and junior Mikela Olsen followed with a solo homer to left which landed on the top of the parking structure. The duo have now hit back-to-back home runs for the third time this season. In the second inning, senior Tim Reimer drove in two runs with a single to center.
Arizona took a 6-5 lead in the third after a pair of two-run home runs to left center field by Brad Boyer and Derek Decater and a sacrifice fly by Trevor Crowe.
The Hornets recaptured the lead 7-6 in the fourth when sophomore Everet Rincon hit an RBI ground out to short and freshman Jim Strombach scored on a fielding error by Wildcat second baseman Moises Duran.
The Wildcats made it 9-7 in the fifth with Decater’s second home run of the contest, a three-run shot over the right center wall.
Sacramento State rallied for one run in the fifth and four runs in the sixth to make it 12-9. In the fifth inning, junior Chris Kinsey drove in a run with an RBI single to center. In the sixth inning, Schmidt hit an RBI single to center, Olsen hit a two-run homer to right center and sophomore Matt Wilson hit an RBI double down the right-field line. For Olsen, who hit homers from each side of the plate, it was his second multi-homer game of the season.
Arizona tied the contest at 12-12 in the seventh after a three-run homer by Brian Anderson. The Wildcats would add four runs in the eighth and five runs in the ninth to put the game away.
The Hornets would score their final run in the ninth when Reimer hit an RBI groudout to second.
Brian Pemble (3-3) captured the win after allowing no runs and one hit while striking out two in 1.1 innings of work.
Kinsey (5-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing 15 runs (14 earned) on 10 hits while walking four and striking out 10 in 7.1 innings.
Olsen and Schmidt combined to go 6-for-9 with five runs, three home runs and six RBI. Olsen now leads the squad with a .408 batting average, 73 hits, 17 doubles, 56 RBI and 134 total bases. Schmidt is second with a .406 average but leads the team with 15 home runs. Junior John Acha also finished with three hits (3-for-6) to lead the squad. LeVier (2-for-5) and Wilson (2-5) also finished with multiple hits.
Boyer led the Arizona offense after finishing 4-for-5 with a homer, six runs and four RBI. Duran (3-for-5) and Decater (3-for-4, 2 HR) led the squad with six RBI apiece.
Sacramento State will next host Hawai’i on Wednesday, April 30, at 2:30 p.m. The Hornet will then travel to San Jose State on Friday, May 2, at 6 p.m., before playing the final two games of the series at Hornet Field.
