SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Ryan Walstad went 3-for-4 and Parker Brahms struck out eight over six innings, but the Hornets fell to the visiting Santa Clara Broncos, 4-2, at John Smith Field.

Walstad opened the scoring for Sacramento State (5-4) on Friday, hitting a two-run home run in his first at bat in the bottom of the second inning and giving the Hornets a 2-0 lead over Santa Clara (8-3). 

The hit was just the first of three on the night for Walstad, who singled to right field in the fourth inning and again in the seventh.

Including last night's game against the Broncos, Walstad is 4-for-7 with two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored. For the season, the senior is now hitting .313 with a team-high .594 slugging percentage. His two home runs are tied with fellow senior Matt Smith for most on the team.

Behind Walstad, the Hornets managed just one other hit, a Steven Moretto single in the bottom of the ninth. Friday night was the third time this year that the Hornets had four hits.

On the mound, Parker Brahms put together another strong start, allowing just one unearned run and striking out eight over six innings. He scattered five hits and for the third time in as many starts, did not walk a batter.

Brahms saw his ERA drop to 0.51 on the season while his strikeouts-per-nine innings climbed to 12.74. He has struck out 25 and walked none in 17.2 innings.

Despite leaving with a one-run lead, Brahms had to settle for a no-decision as the Broncos were able to do just enough against the Hornets' pen. Left-hander Brady Rodriguez (0-1) took over for Brahms in the seventh and was tagged for three runs on five hits in two innings of work.

The loss was the first of the year for Rodriguez, who has appeared in a team-leading five games for the Hornets. 

Eli Saul pitched the ninth for the Hornets, walking one in an otherwise uneventful inning.Game three of this four game series is set to get underway tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. The Hornets will recognize reigning Big Sky Football Coach of the Year Troy Taylor with a ceremonial first pitch.

More details on the rest of this series – and all future Hornets baseball games – can be found online at HornetSports.com. Fans can also keep up with the Hornets on the Hornet Sports Experience app.