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BASEBALL DROPS TOUGH DECISION TO DONS 9-8
4/22/2008
 SAN FRANCISCO - The Sacramento State Hornets fell to the San Francisco Dons by the score of 9-8 on Tuesday, April 22 at Beneditti Diamond.
With the loss, the Hornets fall to 19-19, while the Dons, who took the season series from the Hornets 2-0, improve to 23-17.
Sacramento State started the scoring in the top of the first, as senior Ryan Blair singled, and then stole second, putting himself in scoring position for junior Gabe Jacobo, who singled him home to make the score 1-0. Jacobo then stole second, and was brought home on a RBI single by sophomore Tim Wheeler, pushing the Hornet lead to 2-0.
The Dons got one run back in the bottom of the inning as Joey Railey led of the inning with a double, and then scored on a RBI single by Kyle Morgan. The Hornets then scored again in the bottom of the second, as senior Brian Boyd led off the inning with a double, was sacrificed to third by junior Blake Crosby, and brought home on a suicide squeeze by freshman Brent Hottman, pushing the advantage back to two runs at 3-1.
USF then took the lead for the first time in the third, as they got a two-run single by Zach Kim and a RBI walk by Matt Lieb, making the score 4-3 Dons. The Hornets immediately tied it back up at 4-4 in the fourth, as senior Wes Oberlin scored on a dropped fly ball in the outfield with two down.
Sacramento State retook the lead in the sixth, as Boyd doubled down the the right field line, advanced to third on a balk, and was brought in on a RBI single by Hottman. Crosby, who had walked earlier in the inning and had advanced to third on the single, then scored on a throwing error by the Dons on a failed pickoff play, giving the Hornets a 6-4 lead. The Dons then retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning, as Connor Bernatz and Ryan Lipkin provided RBI singles, which were followed by a two-run double by Derek Poppert, making the score 8-6 in favor of the Dons.
The Hornets again had the immediate answer, as senior David Flores, Jacobo and Wheeler hit three straight singles to open the seventh, with Wheeler and Oberlin providing RBI, tying the score at 8-8. USF scored the go ahead run in the bottom of the eighth, as Zach Hall hit a two-out RBI single, taking a 9-8 lead. The Hornets had their chance in the top of the ninth, as with one out, Jacobo connected on his second triple of the season, but the Hornets were unable to drive him in, losing 9-8.
Freshman Brandon Sandoval (0-2) threw the final inning for the Hornets, picking up the loss, while Mitchell Bialosky (2-5), who started the game at first base for the Dons, allowed just one hit, the Jacobo triple, in the final two innings, picking up the win.
Jacobo was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a RBI to pace the Hornet bats, while Boyd finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Hottman was 1-for-3 with 2 RBI. Lipkin went 3-for-5 to pace the Dons, while Kim and Poppert provided a pair of RBI apiece.
The Hornets will return to action at Hornet Field on Friday-Sunday as they host New Mexico State for a four-game Western Athletic Conference series. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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