SACRAMENTO -- Freshman JP Smith slugged a pair home runs and was one of four Hornets to leave the yard on the night, while junior right-hander Jasper Nelson struck out eight over a season-high six shutout innings on Thursday, as the Sacramento State baseball team survived a late-inning rally from Utah Valley to win, 7-5, in their Western Athletic Conference series opener at John Smith Field.
The win pushed the Hornets over the .500 mark on the year, improving to 15-14 overall and 4-6 in league play. The Wolverines fell to 15-13 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
Thursday marked the eighth time this season that Sacramento State has hit multiple home runs in a game and the third time in the last four contests that the Hornets have hit at least four, matching a season-high with its five round-trippers against Utah Valley. Sacramento State, which entered the day ranked second in the conference with 35 home runs as a team, also slugged five home runs in a 17-3 win over Stephen F. Austin in the first game of a doubleheader on April 1, following that up with a four-home run performance in the nightcap.
For Smith, it was his fifth and sixth overall on the season, becoming the first Hornet to hit two home runs in a game this season and the first since Dawson Bacho did so at Grand Canyon on May 6, 2022.
However, he wasn't the only one showcasing his power on Thursday night. After Gunner Gouldsmith scored on a throwing error while stealing third base, Cesar Valero cranked his third home run of the season in the second, clearing the scoreboard in left centerfield for a 2-0 lead.
Freshman Wehiwa Aloy launched his team-leading eighth of the season in the third, reaching the top of the parking structure in left with a moonshot, just two batters before Smith knocked one off the structure in left center for a 4-0 lead.
Smith added his second of the night with two outs in the fifth and Aloy brought home his second run of the night thanks to an RBI single to right in the sixth, scoring Garet Crenshaw, who lead-off the frame with a triple for a 6-0 advantage.
Josh Rolling put the cherry on top in the eighth, launching his fourth of the year for a 7-0 advantage.
Meanwhile, junior right-hander Jasper Nelson (2-2) was cruising on the mound, retiring eight straight batters at one point and stranding six Utah Valley base runners. He scattered only five hits during his stint on the mound, while his eight strikeouts were a Sacramento State career high, surpassing the seven he had against Central Michigan on March 9.
That wasn't nearly enough, however, as Utah Valley made a valiant comeback in its final at-bats, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring five runs in the ninth while nearly taking the lead in dramatic fashion. After a walk, Trey Cutchen slugged a two-run shot over the wall in right off reliever Cooper Rons to break-up the shutout and Daniel Dickinson added a three-run home run off Jack Zalasky four batters later to make it a two-run contest.
A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Cutchen once again, who skied a ball down the right field line that had the distance but was ruled foul by the umpire as the Wolverines poured out of the dugout. Zalasky then made sure there was no repeat, freezing Cutchen with a called third strike on the outside corner to end the game.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Friday night (April 7) at 6 p.m., and the series will close on Saturday with an 11 a.m. start. Please note the time change from the originally scheduled Noon first pitch.
