CHICAGO – Senior Brennan Leitao threw six scoreless innings and the top three hitters in the Hornet lineup – Nathan Lukes, Scotty Burcham, and Devin Lehman – combined to go 8-for-13 with each recording multi-hit lines as Sacramento State topped Chicago State 7-2 in the opener of a three game series.

Sacramento State (23-23, 10-9 WAC) won its second straight series opener on the road after taking game one at North Dakota last weekend. Chicago State (11-33-1, 4-13-1 WAC) entered the game 8-6 at home this season and 3-2 in home WAC games.

Lukes was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run in the leadoff spot, Brucham was 2-for-5 batting second, and Lehman was 3-for-3 with two RBIs hitting third. Lukes is now just four hits shy of the program record for career hits while Burcham kept his red hot streak going with his seventh straight multi-hit game.

On the mound Leitao allowed just two hits and no walks over six shutout innings, throwing just 56 pitches and recording one strikeout for his fifth win of the year. He didn't allow a baserunner through the first four innings and faced the minimum over his six innings worked. Chicago State picked up a pair of runs in the seventh inning before Hornet freshman Ryan Smith pitched the last two innings allowing just one hit.

Sacramento State scored in four different innings on Friday. The Hornets took the lead in the third as one-out singles from freshman Bronson Grubbs and Lukes ahead of a Burcham single scored one run but Lukes was cut down at the plate. In the next inning Lehman hit a leadoff single and scored on a groundout from junior Dane Fujinaka.

The Hornets opened the game up with three runs on four hits in the fifth inning. Sophomore Brandon Hunley doubled home freshman Dan Deely to start the inning and Hunley would score on a double by Lukes. Lehman had the Hornets third double of the inning to plate Lukes and give the visitors a 5-0 lead.

Chicago State got the first two men aboard in the seventh and scored twice on a ground out and a sacrifice fly. The Hornets got those runs right back in the next half inning, as Burcham hit a leadoff triple and scored on a Lehman sacrifice fly and after a pair of walks Deely brought home junior Chris Lewis on a single.

The Hornets outhit the Cougars 13-5 and had four doubles and the triple by Burcham, his sixth of the year and his eighth career triple to tie for fifth in program history. Eric Hall started for Chicago State and took the loss allowing seven runs on 12 hits and one walk over 7.2 innings, throwing 120 pitches.

Sam Long will try to clinch a series win for the Hornets on Saturday in game two of the series at 1 p.m. Pacific Time.