SAN FRANCISCO – Sacramento State scored early and junior catcher Dawsen Bacho hit his second home run of the year, but the Hornets could do little to slow the hot-hitting San Francisco Dons in a 12-4 midweek loss in the Bay.

Sacramento State (9-7) opened the game with a strong top of the first inning, scoring twice on three hits, a walk, and a hit by pitch.

Dylan McPhillips drove in the first run of the day on a hard-hit infield single to third, scoring Matt Smith. Next up, Chris Gonzalez laced a base hit into right, scoring Keith Torres and putting the Hornets ahead, 2-0, just like that.

From there, however, it was all San Francisco (9-8) as the Dons piled up 12 runs on 16 hits in the game. The biggest blow came in the third inning when, trailing the Hornets 2-1, San Francisco's Nick Yovetich hit a grand slam to put his team ahead, 5-2.

San Francisco added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a commanding, 9-2, lead. 

In the top of the seventh, Hornets catcher Dawsen Bacho hit his second home run of the year, a two-run opposite field shot. The blast cut the deficit at the time to five, before San Francisco pulled away with three more runs in the home half of the frame.

Bacho finished the afternoon 2-for-4 with the home run, two RBI, a base hit, and was hit by a pitch, reaching base three times.

Gonzalez also reached three times, drawing two walks in addition to his first-inning base hit.

Tuesday was uncharacteristic for the Hornets on the mound as Sacramento State's staff allowed a season-high in both runs (12) and hits (16). Coming off a strong midweek start at home last Tuesday against Pacific, Eli Saul (1-1, 8.59) was charged with his first loss of the season.

Behind him, Sacramento State used six different pitchers. Sophomore Connor Sparks and freshman Stephen Klenske were the only pitchers to not allow a run, throwing a scoreless inning each. 

Sacramento State entered Tuesday's game with a 2.00 ERA while allowing fewer than seven hits per game. San Francisco, though, entered the contest having won five of its last six while scoring nearly six runs per game during that time.

Tuesday's game was just the fourth of an 11-game stretch away from John Smith Field for the Hornets. Sacramento State continues on the road next with a weekend series at Nevada beginning Friday, March. 13. This weekend's series starts Friday night with a 2 p.m. first pitch. All three games this weekend will be day games.

For more details on this weekend's series – including links to live video, audio, and stats – please visit the team online at HornetSports.com. Fans can also keep up with the Hornets on the Hornet Sports Experience app.