SACRAMENTO -- Martin Vincelli-Simard and Josh Rolling each finished with two hits and two RBI on the day while right-hander Noah Takacs struck out seven over five strong innings, helping Sacramento State get the 2023 college baseball season off to a winning start thanks to a 5-3 win over North Dakota State at John Smith Field.
The Hornets won their fourth consecutive opening day game as four pitchers combined on a three-hitter in the win. The Bison, who got home runs from Druw Sackett in the first and Stephen Lund in the ninth, fell to 0-1 on the year, managing only a single in between.
Takacs (1-0) rebounded nicely after surrendering that first inning blast, retiring the next six batters and allowing only two more baserunners over his five innings of work. He allowed only the one run on two hits, while his seven strikeouts without a walk were the most since he struck out seven at Utah Tech on April 23 of last season.
He finished just one strikeout shy of his career high of eight set at New Mexico State on April 10 of last season.
Max Pettey, Zach Gagnon, and Trey Goodrich then closed out the contest, combining for four strikeouts. Pettey threw a scoreless seixth and seventh before giving way to Gagnon, who struck out a pair in a scoreless, hitless eighth. Goodrich was then touched for a two-run home run in the ninth, but recovered nicely to get a strikeout and a ground ball to end the game.
In an early hole following the first inning home run, the Hornet offense responded in a big way with a three-run home half of the first against NDSU starter Cade Feeney (0-1).
Jorge Bojorquez and
Wehiwa Aloy led-off with singles — the latter collecting his first collegiate hit with a knock up the middle — and both came home on Vincelli-Simard's single up the middle for a 2-1 lead.
Jeffery Heard then followed with a single two batters later to put two on for Rolling, who singled back through the box to score Vincelli-Simard to make it 3-1.
Sacramento State added another in the third as Vincelli-Simard doubled to the gap in left center and came around to score on a two-out double by Rolling for the three-run lead. The Hornets added their final run in the seventh as
Carson Blatnick doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice by
Griffin Harrison and scored on Aloy's sacrifice fly to right centerfield for a 5-1 lead.
Game two of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 18).
