SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento State opened the 2020 season on Friday with a big win over the visiting UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 6-1.

Parker Brahms took the mound for the Hornets for Friday night's opener and was spectacular. The right-hander allowed just one run while scattering three hits over 5.2 innings of work. He struck out seven and did not walk any.

Brahms, who at time struggled with his command a season ago, couldn't miss on Friday, throwing 67 of his 83 pitches for strikes (81%), including 17 straight strikes to start the game.

While Brahms was busy shutting out the Gauchos, the Hornet offense got to work early, jumping on UCSB's lefty Rodney Boone for four runs in just three innings.

Sacramento State scored its first run of the night in the first inning on a Matt Smith single up the middle. The Hornets added three more in the third thanks to a Dawsen Bacho double and two wild pitches in the inning.

UC Santa Barbara got on the board in the top of the fourth on a solo home run from Marcos Castanon, but that was the Gauchos' first and last run of the night.

While Brahms was excellent on the mound, the defense also delivered behind him. Perhaps the play of the night came early in the sixth inning when right-fielder Chris Gonzalez chased down a ball deep in the right-center gap, taking away extra bases from the Gauchos. 

With two on and two out in the sixth, Brahms gave way to left-hander Brady Rodriguez, who pitched out of the jam before tossing a scoreless seventh. 

Travis Martizia followed Rodriguez, throwing a scoreless eighth and ninth to close out the game. The duo combined to allow two hits over 3.1 innings while striking out two and walking none.

Last season, Rodriguez (33 games) and Martizia (32) led the Hornets in appearances, and figure to feature prominently in the bullpen again in 2020.

Sacramento State added on to its lead in the seventh, scoring two more runs on back-to-back two-out hits. Smith knocked in the first, scoring Bacho all the way from first with a double to shallow centerfield. Ryan Walstad followed with a two-out base hit of his own, scoring Smith and putting the Hornets ahead, 6-1.

Smith finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a double, and a walk. Bacho (1-2, 2 BB, RBI) and leadoff man Keith Torres (1-4, BB) each scored twice.

Sacramento State has now won three straight against UC Santa Barbara dating back to the 2018 season. Last year's game of course, featured the Hornets knocking off the #19 Gauchos from the NCAA Regional Tournament. In 2018, the Hornets took two of three on the road in Santa Barbara.

The series continues tomorrow as the Hornets and Gauchos open the action at 2 p.m. PT back at John Smith Field.

Junior right-hander Scott Randall, who led the Hornets in wins, innings pitched, and ERA among starters a season ago, will take the mound for Sacramento State against UC Santa Barbara's left-hander Zachary Torra. 

More details on tomorrow's game – and all upcoming Hornets baseball games – can be found online at HornetSports.com. Fans can also keep up with the Hornets on the Hornet Sports Experience app.