SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For the fifth time this season and the second at John Smith Field, Sacramento State swept a doubleheader, taking both ends of Saturday's twin bill against the Dixie State Trailblazers. With two more wins, the team has now matched their best ever start in the Div. I era of Hornet baseball.

Sacramento State (17-5, 10-1 WAC) took game one on Saturday, 9-4. The Hornets won again in game two, defeating Dixie State (5-15, 3-8 WAC) by a final score of 10-5.

The Hornets are off to an incredible 17-5 start in 2021, matching the team's best ever start in the Div. I era of Sacramento State baseball. The Hornets opened the 1993 campaign by going 17-5, as well. The Hornets have not been 18-5 since the program made the jump to Div. I in 1990.

In addition, Sacramento State's 10-1 Western Athletic Conference record matches its best league start to a season. The Hornets started the 2014 conference schedule 10-1 before ultimately winning their first WAC Tournament and appearing in the 2014 NCAA San Luis Obispo Regional Tournament.

To get to 17-5, Sacramento State had to win two more on Saturday and came through with yet another doubleheader sweep. Sacramento State has played five doubleheaders this season and is a perfect 10-0 in those games. Dating back to the start of the 2019 season and including the 2019 WAC Tournament, the Hornets are an unbelievable 23-1 in doubleheader games.

Sacramento State struck first in game one, scoring once in the bottom of the first, but Dixie State countered immediately, climbing out to a 3-1 lead by the top of the third.

The Trailblazers scored all three runs against Hornets' starter Eli Saul, who went three innings, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts. The freshman right-hander took a no decision in the outing.

Down two, the Hornets reclaimed the lead with a three-run third inning. Martin Vincelli-Simard drove in one before Chris Gonzalez brought home two more with a two-out, two-run double.

Brady Rodriguez took over for Saul and was excellent, throwing four innings of relief and allowing just one run on four hits. Rodriguez, who improved to a team-leading 4-0 with the win, did not walk a batter and struck out four.

The junior left-hander has appeared in 10 games this season, tied for the team lead, and owns a spectacular 1.52 ERA (3er, 17.2ip).

The Sacramento State offense broke the game open in the fourth inning, scoring four times on five hits. Four different Hornets drove in a run in the inning, including Vincelli-Simard, who brought home his second with a base hit up the middle.

The Hornets added one more in the sixth and while the Trailblazers managed to scratch one across in the seventh, it was too little too late as the Hornets won game one, 9-4.

In game two, Sacramento State again struck first, thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Jorge Bojorquez in the first inning. The lead wouldn't last, however, as the Hornets and Trailblazers traded leads or were tied five times in the first four innings.

Dixie State scored twice in the top of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead, but Sacramento State answered with three in the home half of the frame to take back the lead for good. Ryan Walstad drove in two with a seeing-eye base hit through the right side before Matt Smith drove in another with a base hit to center.

Although Dixie State refused to go quietly, the Hornets continued to add on and extend their lead, scoring twice in the fifth on back-to-back home runs from Aaron Zeidman and Hunter Dorraugh.

The fifth-inning home run was one of just four hits for Dorraugh on Saturday. The freshman finished 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored, and two RBI while playing seven innings in left field. The four-hit game was a career-high for Dorraugh. He is the fifth Hornet with a four-hit game this season. 

In limited time, Dorraugh, a returning freshman from a year ago, is hitting .667 (6-for-9) with two home runs, a double, four runs scored, and five driven in.

Keith Torres put the final nail in the coffin for Dixie State with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh inning.

Travis Adams wasn't his usual self in his Saturday start, throwing just 4.1 innings and giving up 11 hits. Despite the off-start, Adams kept his team in the game, allowing just five runs to score.

His bullpen, starting with Travis Martizia, picked him up expertly. Martizia, who earned the win, his second of the season, came in with two on and one out and momentum starting to build for Dixie State. The side-armer pitched his team out of the jam and maintained his team's 6-5 lead.

Cole Tremain threw a scoreless inning before Jack Zalasky came on for the three-inning save. Zalasky struck out four and did not walk a batter as he earned his first save of the season and of his career. For the year, Zalasky is tied with Rodriguez with 10 appearances. In 15.2 innings of work, Zalasky has struck out 22 and walked none. He owns a team-leading 1.15 ERA (2er, 15.2ip).

After sweeping Saturday's doubleheader, Sacramento State now has a chance to sweep the series from Dixie State. The series finale is set for tomorrow, Sunday, March 28 at 1 pm. As always, both games will stream live online on the WAC Digital Network with live stats available at HornetStats.com. 

Direct links for video, live stats, news and notes, and more can be found on the Sacramento State baseball schedule online at HornetSports.com.