Box Score SACRAMENTO -- Sophomore Jorge Bojórquez's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded tied it and sophomore Gunner Gouldsmith sent the Sacramento State faithful home happy, driving a pinch-hit single through the right side to score teammate Jeffery Heard from second with the game-winning run, lifting the Hornets to 3-2 walk-off victory over division-leading Grand Canyon in the opener of a three-game Western Athletic Conference series on Friday night at John Smith Field.
Sacramento State improved to 11-10 overall and 3-4 in WAC play with the victory, moving to 6-0 in series openers this season. The 'Lopes, who entered the day leading the WAC West Division, fell to 14-9 overall and 6-1 in conference play.
Trailing by a run entering the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Cesar Valero opened the ninth inning with a single and the Hornets promptly loaded the bases thanks to back-to-back walks issued to Heard and Dawsen Bacho. That chased reliever Vince Reilly (2-1) from the game in favor of R.J. Elmore, who got Bojorquez to fly out the left, but it was deep enough to easily score Valero and tie the game at two apiece.
With Heard still at second after the fly ball, Gouldsmith strode to the plate and worked the count in his favor before driving a ground ball under the glove of the diving GCU first baseman for a base hit. Heard rounded third and slid into the plate ahead of a throw that sailed wide, setting off the celebration from the dugout, which mobbed Gouldsmith on the infield.
The ninth inning completed a comeback for Sacramento State, which found itself down two entering the eighth after the 'Lopes plated a run in the fourth on a home run by Juan Colato and an RBI infield single by Homer Bush, Jr., in the seventh.
An infield single by Bojorquez with one out in the eighth ignited a rally that cut the Hornets' deficit in half as they loaded the bases with walks to Steven Moretto and Josh Rolling around a wild pitch. That brought up Nick Iwasa, who worked the count to 3-1 before coaxing a walk out of Reilly, driving home Bojorquez to make it 2-1 and set the stage for the dramatic ninth.
Starter Eli Saul pitched well in the no decision, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out three over seven innings as the Hornets improved to 6-0 in his starts this year. Max Pettey and Kevin Haynes (1-0) were stellar in relief, as the former worked around a lead-off walk to get a pair of fly balls and a strikeout to end the eighth, and the latter earning the win with three strikeouts in the ninth — the third coming after GCU put two on with back-to-back two-out singles.
Bojorquez finished with two of the Hornets' eight hits on the night, while Valero finished 1-for-2 with three of the team's 10 walks.
The two teams reconvene at John Smith Field on Saturday (March 26) at 4 p.m., for game two of the series. Freshman left-hander Noah Lucchesi is scheduled to take the mound for Sacramento State against Grand Canyon right-hander, and reigning WAC Pitcher of the Week, Daniel Avitia.
