After dropping the first game of the series on Friday, Sacramento State evened the set against UTSA and improved to 22-16 overall and 8-6 in WAC games. Leitao (5-2) picked up the win after allowing only three hits in seven innings. Brandon Creel closed the game by retiring the three batters he faced in the eighth.

 

Two of the hits Leitao surrendered came with the first two batters he faced. Consecutive singles by Daniel Rockett and Horacio Correa III placed runners on the corner before a fly ball from RJ Perucki scored the game's first run.

 

The Hornets' deficit did not last long as Andrew Ayers led off the second with a single and moved to third on a double by Will Soto. A groundout by Scotty Burcham scored Ayers and moved Soto to third. He later scored on a sac fly by Dane Fujinaka.

 

Sacramento State began to pull away with a three-run fifth inning. With two outs, a run in and a runner on, Justin Higley bunted back to the pitcher for a base hit. Ayers then cleared the bases with a double to left. In the seventh, Soto hit his first home run of the year with a two-run blast to right center to make the score, 7-1.

 

The Hornets faced four pitchers in the eighth inning and capitalized with five runs on four hits, an error, two walks and a hit batter. Back-to-back walks started the frame before Nathan Lukes doubled to right center to score both runs. Rhys Hoskins plated Lukes with a single before he scored on a Soto sacrifice fly. Burcham drove in the final run with a single to left.

 

Lukes led a 16-hit attack by going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Del Grande, Higley, Ayers, and Soto also chipped in a pair of hits and all nine starters had at least one hit in the game.

 

The series wraps up on Sunday at 10 a.m. Tanner Mendonca will start for Sacramento State which will be looking for its third consecutive series victory.