LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- The Sacramento State baseball team exploded for nine runs in the final three innings, completing a comeback from down three runs to post a 16-10 victory and clinch a series win over New Mexico State on Sunday afternoon at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces, N.M.
It was a milestone victory for Head Coach Reggie Christiansen, who collected his 500th career win as the Hornets moved to 23-21 overall and 9-12 in Western Athletic Conference play. The triumph enabled Sacramento State to take 2-of-3 from the Aggies on the weekend as the Hornets collected their second conference series win of the year.
With the loss, New Mexico State fell to 11-27 overall and 8-16 in league play.
Junior
Josh Rolling finished with his second consecutive three-hit contest, ending the day with a career high-tying 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of home runs, three runs scored, and three runs driven in. It was the second straight day that a Hornet finished with a multi-homer game as Rolling followed teammate Martin Vincelii-Simard's two-home run game on Saturday.
Speaking of Vincelli-Simard, the senior clubbed his third home run of the weekend in the second innings — a three-run shot — that capped a five-run second inning that gave Sacramento State an early 7-1 lead. The blast made him only the fifth Hornet to hit 30 home runs in a career and moved him into a tie for second on the school's all-time list for home runs, matching
Steven Moretto (2018-22), Chris Kinsey (2001-03), and Will Fitzpatrick (1990-93). That group trails only Harvey Hargrove (1995-97), who holds the record with 35.
Trailing by six, New Mexico State flexed its muscles once again. After scoring 21 runs the night before, the Aggies scored nine unanswered runs across the third and fourth innings, erasing the deficit to take a 10-7 lead.
From that point on, the Hornet bullpen took over as freshman
Xavier Richards (2-0) was lights out, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out a career-high five.
That gave time for Sacramento State to find its groove offensively, exploding against a bullpen that had retired 11 straight from the third through the sixth. Rolling led-off the seventh with a solo blast to left and
Jorge Bojorquez scored all the way from first on a fly ball to right centerfield off the bat of
Wehiwa Aloy that was scored an error to make it a one-run contest.
After a strikeout,
JP Smith walked and
Jeffery Heard was hit by a pitch to load the bases for
Cesar Valero, who laced a single through the left side, scoring a pair to give the Hornets a lead they would not relinquish. A ground ball moved two into scoring position, which was key as a passed ball during
Garet Crenshaw's at-bat allowed Heard to score from third and make it a 12-10 advantage.
Sacramento State wasn't done, however, as the bats made more noise in the ninth. Smith and Heard led off the inning with back-to-back singles to bring up Valero, who launched his seventh home run of the year over the wall in left to make it a 15-10 game and give Valero a season-high five RBI. Following a pair of ground balls, Rolling came up and belted his seventh home run of the season to left, capping the scoring at 16-10.
Senior right-hander
Jack Zalasky, who entered in the eighth and worked around a one-out double to strand a runner at third, then shut the door in the ninth, getting a pair of fly balls and a strikeout to end the game, wrapping up his ninth save of the season.
Now with 24 career saves to his name, Zalasky moved to within two saves of Mike Frame (1987-89) for second on the all-time list and nine shy of Sutter McLoughlin's record of 33 set from 2013-15.
Sunday's four home runs from the Hornets gave them 68 on the season, moving them to within three of the 1994 team that stands third on the all-time list with 71 that year. Only the 1998 (83) and 1997 (75) teams have hit more.
Individually, Smith and Aloy extended their respective hitting streaks to nine consecutive games, while Aloy has now reached base safely in 18 straight contests — the latter just one shy of his 19 consecutive games reaching base safely to start the year.
Sacramento State closes out its season-long run of nine straight games on the road on Tuesday (May 2) as the Hornets face Fresno State for the second time this season in Fresno. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Following that midweek clash, Sacramento State returns to John Smith Field to host UT Rio Grande Valley in a three-game WAC series on May 5-7.
