SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Senior Ty Nichols and sophomore Justin Dillon combined to allow just one run, the Hornets scored three runs on three hits in the seventh inning, and Sacramento State forced Utah into five outs on the bases in a 3-1 win on Sunday.

Sacramento State (2-1) picked up its second straight win after Utah (1-2) took the first game of the series, which concludes at 11 a.m. Monday at John Smith Field. Monday's game will be "Bring a Lincoln" day as all general admission tickets will be just $5 in celebration of President' Day.

Making his first start at John Smith Field since March 1 of last year, Nichols threw 6.1 scoreless innings. He did allow five hits and four walks but got some help defensively and was aided by Dillon in the seventh inning, as Nichols departed with one out and the base loaded and Dillon got the Hornets out of the inning unscathed.

"Steve (Holm) called a great game and Gunner (Pollman) did too," said Nichols, who made four early starts last year before pitching just one more inning after the end of March due to injury. "I had breaking ball command early and was able to pitch with two pitches pretty well. We always try to attack with the fastball and establish command and we're not scared to throw fastballs."

Nichols recorded two strikeouts and had a low pitch count before running into some trouble in the seventh. Dillon, who was Sacramento State's Sunday starter over the last few months of the 2014 season, went 2.2 innings and picked up the win, allowing just one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.

Utah freshman Jayson Ross was also superb in his first collegiate start. Both pitchers faced the minimum through the first thee innings, and Rose allowed just one hit and two walks with four strikeouts over his six scoreless innings.

In the top of the fifth Utah's Wyler Smith attempted to score from second on a two-out single by teammate Josh Rose but was thrown out at the plate by Hornet right fielder Nathan Lukes. The Hornets got leadoff hitter Kyle Moses to third base with two outs in the sixth but he was stranded.

The wheels started to turn in the seventh, as the Utes drew consecutive walks to open the inning, had a sacrifice bunt, and then an intentional walk to load the bases with one out. Dillon came in to face Rose and the Hornets caught a break as the Utes put on the suicide squeeze and Rose missed the bunt, allowing Pollman to run the base runner back to third and tag him out. Dillon than threw a fastball past Rose for a strikeout to end the inning.

Sacramento State broke through in the bottom of the inning against Utah reliever Dalton Carroll. Lukes drew a one-out walk before sophomore Brandon Hunley singled to left and senior Scotty Burcham followed with an RBI single to center. Pollman then got a third consecutive hit for the Hornets, bouncing a ball through the left side to bring home Hunley. Burcham would come in to score on a fielder's choice groundball from freshman Bronson Grubbs to give the home team a 3-0 lead.

Dillon worked around a walk in the eighth inning before Utah scratched together a run in the ninth but could get no more.

The Hornets benefited from five outs in the game made by Utah on the bases - three caught stealing by Pollman, one runner thrown out at the plate, and one runner cut down on the failed suicide squeeze. The Utes also left five men on base.

All 11 hits in the game (six for Utah, five for Sacramento State) were singles. Utah's Dallas Carroll had the only multi-hit game for either team, going 2-for-3, while Moses reached base twice out of the leadoff spot for the Hornets and had a stolen base. Freshman Devin Lehman also stole a base as the Hornets are 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts during the series (Utah is just 4-for-9).

A huge crowd of 643 fans took in Sunday's game before the series concludes with the President's Day game at 11 a.m. Monday.