Box Score SACRAMENTO -- Seniors Steven Moretto and Keith Torres each slugged home runs to cut into an early deficit, but visiting Pacific was able to fend off any further Sacramento State rallies on Tuesday night, holding off the Hornets for a 5-2 victory at John Smith Field.
The loss dropped Sacramento State to 11-13 overall on the year, while the Tigers improved to 8-15 overall, winning for the first time in the series since 2019.
After spotting Pacific four runs in the first two innings, the Hornets responded with the long ball in the fourth to halve the deficit. Moretto's blast was first, leading off the inning by bouncing a shot off the scoreboard in left centerfield for Sacramento State's first run of the night and his third home run of the season.
Josh Rolling followed with an infield single that was destined for extra bases, but was erased trying to swipe second, and Trevor Doyle was retired on a ground ball to the right side to bring up Torres, who launched his first home run of the season out toward the scoreboard to make it a 4-2 ball game.
The Hornets managed base runners in the fifth and sixth on singles by Cesar Valero and Rolling, but came up empty, while the Tigers added an insurance run in the eighth on a ground ball by Colby Canales that brought in Brandon Motheral for the final 5-2 score.
Valero's single extended his hitting streak to 11 games, tied for the longest of the year with teammate Jorge Bojorquez, who collected hits in each of the team's first 11 contests to start the year. Meanwhile, Moretto's home run extended his own hitting streak to seven games and moved him into a tie for fourth on the school's all-time home run list with 29, matching Gabe Jacobo's total from 2006-08 and putting him just one back of Chris Kinsey (2001-03) and Will Fitzpatrick (1990-93) for a tie for second.
Rolling and Torres each finished with a pair of hits, the latter adding a two-out double in the ninth to try and spark a late rally.
Tyler Stout (2-0) was credited with the win for Pacific, allowing a hit and striking out one over 2.1 innings of relief, while Tyler Stewart (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing the four runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of work. Hunter Schilperoort, who came on with the tying run on deck in the eighth, pitched the final 1.2 innings for his fourth save of the year, allowing a hit and striking out three.
Sacramento State hits the road for its next seven games beginning this weekend in Orem, Utah, with a three-game Western Athletic Conference series against Utah Valley on April 1-3. The opener is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Friday, with game two scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday, and the finale scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday.
