SACRAMENTO -- After Mother Nature did her best to scramble the Sacramento State baseball team's schedule over the course of the last week, the Hornets finally returned to the diamond on Thursday afternoon, rebounding from an early deficit to post a 9-4 win over Nevada at John Smith Field.
The victory was the third straight for Sacramento State, which improved to 6-1 overall on the season and won for the first time in the series with the Wolf Pack since 2019. Nevada fell to 3-5 overall with the defeat.
In a game that was originally scheduled for Tuesday (Feb. 26), but postponed twice after rain washed out the initial meeting and road closures prevented Nevada from making the trip, the Hornets banged out a season-high 14 hits en route to the victory, quickly erasing a two-run deficit with five runs in the first three innings.
A two-run home run in the first staked the Wolf Pack to the early lead, but a passed ball in the home half allowed Sacramento State's first run to score and Gunner Gouldsmith, making his first appearance of the year, shot a single through the right side in the second to tie the game.
The hits kept on coming in the third as the Hornets swung the bat loudly, slugging three solo home runs to give them the lead for good. Senior Martin Vincelli-Simard launched a shot to left field to break the two-all tie and was quickly followed by Josh Rolling, whose line drive cleared the fence in left for a 4-2 advantage.
After the second out of the inning, newcomer Garet Crenshaw soared a ball over the batters eye in right field for his first home run in the green and gold and a 5-2 lead.
The score stayed that way until the sixth as the Hornets loaded the bases thanks to a pair of one out walks and a single to bring up Vincelli-Simard, who was plunked by the first pitch he saw in the at bat to drive home Griffin Harrison and make it 6-2.
Nevada worked out of the jam, but could not hold back the Sacramento State offense in the seventh as five consecutive one-out singles brought home three more runs. Freshman Wehiwa Aloy had a two-run knock as part of that run as did Cesar Valero, whose single to centerfield capped the scoring for the Hornets.
The Wolf Pack rallied for two runs in the ninth on a pair of harmless solo home runs, but would get no closer as Tyler Stewart struck out a pair and induced a fly ball to left to end the game.
Reliever Cooper Rons (1-0) was credited with the win, allowing a pair of hits over three innings of work, but retiring eight of nine hitters at one point during his stint and striking out three. Jasper Nelson then pitched a scoreless, hitless, seventh and eighth, facing the minimum while striking out three. Starter Kevin Haynes was stuck with the no decision, allowing the first two runs on three hits and striking out three over the first three innings.
Nevada starter Peyton Stumbo (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four earned (five overall) on seven hits and striking out six over 2.2 innings of work. Six Wolf Pack relievers then combined to finish the game.
Sacramento State won't have long to wait before returning to the diamond, catching a flight later Thursday night for Southern California where it will compete alongside USC, nationally ranked UCLA, and Tulane in the Southern California College Baseball Classic co-hosted by the Trojans and Bruins this weekend.
The Hornets open against USC on Friday night (March 3) at 6:30 p.m., before heading to Jackie Robinson Stadium to take on UCLA on Saturday (March 4) at 2 p.m. Sacramento State closes out the tournament against the Green Wave on Sunday (March 5) at 10 a.m. on the Bruins' home field.
