SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Travis Adams was dealing for Sacramento State on Saturday, and despite a late New Mexico State rally, the Hornets fended off the Aggies for a 9-6 win Saturday at John Smith Field.

With the win, Sacramento State improves to 20-7 overall and 12-3 in WAC play. New Mexico State falls to 11-16 overall, including 9-6 in league play.

Travis Adams made his seventh start of the year on Saturday and was excellent. After New Mexico State touched up each of the Hornets' previous two starters for four runs apiece, Adams allowed just one run over six strong innings.

Adams, who improved to 4-1 this season with the win on Saturday, matched his career high with eight strikeouts. He struck out two in each of his first four innings and did not allow a hit until the third. He faced just two over the minimum over six innings. 

In total, he allowed just one run on three hits and a walk while punching out eight. He threw 87 pitches, 61 of them for strikes. 

For the season, Adams owns a 3.76 ERA and a .252 batting average against. He has struck out 40 in 40.2 innings and walked just seven.

Sacramento State's offense provided more than enough support for Adams, putting up nine runs on nine hits Saturday. The scoring started in the first when Ryan Walstad drove in Nick Iwasa with a sacrifice fly.

The RBI was the first of three for Walstad, who finished 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, a run scored, and three runs driven in. Walstad's second-inning home run was his second in as many days, a towering shot over the second fence in right field.

Dawsen Bacho was next and for the second time this season, Sacramento State went back-to-back as Bacho sent a screaming line drive home run out to left, off the wall of the parking structure behind the left field wall. 

The home run was also the fourth of the year for Bacho.

Sacramento State added three more in the fourth, in part thanks to a two-run double off the bat of Matt Smith. After a quiet first two games of the series, Smith opened up Saturday, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, run scored, and game-high four RBIs.

His home run, a two-run shot, came in the sixth and put the Hornets up, 9-1, at the time. 

Returning freshman Isaiah Parker collected his first career hit on Saturday, lining a base hit into center field in the eighth inning.

Parker, who joined the Hornets prior to 2020's shortened season, has appeared in 16 games in his career, primarily as a defensive replacement or pinch runner. This season alone, he has scored four runs in five pinch runner appearances.

Keith Torres drew three walks Saturday and scored twice while Nick Iwasa, who was not originally in the lineup, finished 1-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored.

Iwasa came into the game in the bottom of the first inning after a scary moment for Sacramento State and second baseman Jorge Bojorquez. Leading off for the Hornets, Bojorquez was hit on the mouth by the first pitch he saw on Saturday, dropping to the ground before being tended to by the Sacramento State training staff.

Fortunately, the incident appeared to be minor as Bojorquez, who was removed from the lineup, was back in the Hornets' dugout just a few innings later. 

Leading 9-1 in the seventh, Hornets freshmen Noah Takacs and Kevin Haynes threw back-to-back perfect innings to get the Hornets to the ninth.

Sacramento State flirted with trouble in the inning, allowing the Aggies to score five times to make it a 9-6 game. Travis Martizia, who entered with one out and two on, managed to pitch the Hornets out of the game and seal the 9-6 win for Sacramento State.

The nine-run showing was Sacramento State's 11th this season. The Hornets are 10-1 in those games.

Sacramento State will have a chance to win its fourth straight WAC series tomorrow when the Hornets and Aggies face off in an early Sunday finale. First pitch for tomorrow's game is set for 10 a.m. PT. As with all home games, tomorrow morning's contest will stream live online on the WAC Digital Network.

For the latest news, notes, and more, including links to streaming and live stats, be sure to visit the Sacramento State baseball schedule online at HornetSports.com.