DAVIS, Calif. -- Playing its second extra-inning affair in as many days, the Sacramento State baseball team rallied from an early deficit, but let a late lead slip away as Causeway rival UC Davis scored twice in the eighth to tie it and won it on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 11th inning for a 4-3 triumph on Tuesday afternoon at Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium in Davis, Calif.
The Hornets, who just hours earlier wrapped up a 10-inning victory at Pacific on Monday night, fell to 17-16 overall with the loss. The Aggies improved to 11-17 overall with the win, evening up the season series after Sacramento State had posted a 9-6 win at John Smith Field back on March 7. The rubber game of the series will be played in Sacramento on May 9.
It marked the first time that Sacramento State has played back-to-back extra-inning games since going 10 innings against New Mexico State and 11 innings against Grand Canyon in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament on May 25, 2019.
Tuesday also marked the first time that the Hornets have played back-to-back extra-inning games on consecutive days since 2011, defeating UC Davis, 3-2, in 10 innings on Feb. 21, and falling to Saint Mary's, 2-1, in 11 innings on Feb. 22.
Trailing 1-0 after UC Davis plated a run in the first, the Hornets scored three unanswered runs, tying the game on an error with runners at the corners in the fourth and taking their first lead on a Carson Blatnick single to center in the sixth, scoring Jeffery Heard both times.
Sacramento State added a run in the eighth for some breathing room as Jacob Cortez, who finished 3-for-4 on the day, drive home pinch-runner Griffin Harrison for the two-run advantage.
Things fell apart in the eighth as the Aggies rallied to tie it in the home half. Mark Wolbert led off the inning with a first-pitch home run to get the home team within a run and then tied it three batters later on a crazy sequence in the outfield. With a runner at second, UC Davis pinch-hitter Nick Leehey lofted a ball that was caught by Garet Crenshaw, moving the runner to third.
However, Crenshaw, on his attempt to get the ball back to the infield, slipped on the outfield grass and fell to the ground, allowing James Williams III to bolt home from third with the tying score.
The Hornets stranded the potential winning run in scoring position in the ninth and left an Aggie on the basepaths in the 10th, but had their chance to go ahead go by the wayside in the 11th.
Cortez singled with one out for the first Sacramento State baserunner since the eighth and moved to third on a double by Blatnick. After Josh Rolling was hit by a pitch to load the bases, reliever Kaden Riccomini induced an infield fly and a pop-up to end the inning and keep the game tied.
In the home half, however, UC Davis was able to capitalize on its own one-out bases loaded situation without the benefit of a hit. A hit batter, a sacrifice, and a pair of walks brought up Alex Gouveia, who lofted a 1-1 pitch to left field, deep enough to score Riley Acosta to make the Aggies walk-off winners.
Cortez notched his third game with three-or-more hits this season and also threw out a pair of would-be base stealers behind the plate, while Blatnick added two hits for his second multi-hit game of the year. The duo accounted for half of the team's four doubles on the day as Jorge Bojourquez and Crenshaw also went for extra bases.
Wesley Harper (1-1) — the seventh pitcher of the day for the Hornets — suffered the loss, allowing the one run on one hit while striking out three in 2.2 innings of work. Conor Hourigan made his first start of the season, allowing an unearned run on one hit and striking out one in the first inning, while newcomers Benjy Tucker (two innings) and Jaxon Byrd (one inning) each made their Sacramento State debuts on the mound, recording their first career strikeouts.
Continuing a run that will see the Hornets play five games in seven days, Sacramento State resumes Western Athletic Conference play with a three-game home series against UT Arlington beginning Friday (April 14) at 6 p.m.
