SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team fell to the No. 21 ranked California Golden Bears by a score of 7-3 on Tuesday, May 4 at Hornet Field.
With the loss, the Hornets fall to 16-25-1 on the season, while the Golden Bears improved to 27-15.
Three of the Bears seven runs in the contest were unearned, and they scored one of them in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The lead grew to 5-0 in the top of the third, as with one out and the bases loaded, Devin Rodriguez provided a RBI groundout to increase the lead to two runs. With two outs, the Bears scored back-to-back runs on a pair of bunt singles by Chad Bunting and Danny Oh, and Marcus Semien rounded out the scoring in the inning with a RBI single to center, giving the Bears a 5-0 lead.
The Hornets came charging back in the bottom of the fifth, as after being held to just one hit through the first four innings, senior Justin Mezzaneras led off the frame with a double down the left field line. Following a flyout that moved Mezzaneras over to third, freshman Andrew Ayers drove him in with an infield single. Later in the inning, with two down, freshman Blake Miller connected on a RBI single up the middle, and junior Trevor Paine provided his own RBI single up the middle, pulling the Hornets to within two runs at 5-3.
But Sacramento State would be unable to pull any closer, and Cal added a single unearned run in each the eighth and ninth innings to take home a 7-3 victory.
Senior Tommy Elrod (0-2) was the hard-luck loser on a staff day, allowing one unearned run on one hit in two innings while striking out four. Kevin Miller (3-2) picked up the win out of the Cal bullpen, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two. Matt Flemer picked up his fourth save of the season, allowing one hit in two innings.
Miller and junior Kirby Young led the Hornets with two hits apiece, with Mezzaneras and Miller providing the teams two extra base hits. Brian Guinn led the Bears with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Semien and Oh added two hits apiece.
Sacramento State returns to action on Friday, May 7 as the team travels to Ruston, Louisiana to take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for a four game conference series. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State baseball team fell to the No. 21 ranked California Golden Bears by a score of 7-3 on Tuesday, May 4 at Hornet Field.
