RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Junior Josh Rolling's two-run home run in the sixth snapped a three-all tie and the Hornets stranded 11 California Baptist baserunners on the day as Sacramento State won the series finale against the rival Lancers by an 8-3 score on Sunday afternoon in Riverside, Calif.
The win pushed the Hornets back to .500 at 26-26 overall, while moving to 11-16 in Western Athletic Conference play. CBU fell to 28-24 overall and 15-12 in conference play with the defeat.
Seven of Sacramento State's eight runs on the day came via the long ball as the Hornets slugged three more home runs to bring their season total to 83 on the year — tying the 1998 squad for the most in the program's recorded history. They have now homered in 10 of their last 11 games — including eight multi-home run contests — and slugged nine home runs total in the three-game series with California Baptist, scoring 15 of their 22 runs in the series via the long ball.
Junior Jorge Bojorquez tied his career high at the plate with a 4-for-5 day, adding a pair of runs, a double, and three RBI, while Jeffery Heard and Rolling finished with two hits and two RBI apiece, each slugging home runs to add to the team's total.
Sacramento State broke the seal on the scoring in the third as Griffin Harrison set the table with his second triple of the year to lead-off the inning. Two batters later, Wehiwa Aloy bounced a single up the middle to drive Harrison home and he himself would score six pitches later when Heard golfed a ball over the wall in right for a 3-0 advantage.
It was Heard's career-best 10th home run of the year, while Aloy scored for the 61st time this year, moving him into fifth on the school's single-season list.
California Baptist scored twice in the third and once in the fourth to tie the game at three, but the Hornets' pitching staff did its job, limiting the Lancers' offense to just five hits the rest of the way, giving time for the Hornet offense to respond.
And respond they did in the sixth. After two quick outs, Bojorquez reached on a double to right and was only there for two pitches as Rolling lined a shot over the wall down the left field line for his 10th home run of the year, breaking the tie and giving his team a 5-3 advantage.
Meanwhile, Sacramento State escaped a bases-loaded jam with a double-play to close out the bottom of the sixth, leaving two on, stranded another in the seventh, and left the bases loaded in the eighth before putting the game out of reach in the ninth, again with two outs.
Freshman JP Smith walked and pinch-runner Ryan Christiansen went all the way to third on Cesar Valero's ground-rule double to center that, at the moment, saved a run. That brought up Bojorquez, who launched his sixth home run of the year to left, extending the lead to 8-3.
The Lancers tried to mount a rally in the ninth on a walk and a double to put a pair in scoring position, but closer Jack Zalasky, who finished with three strikeouts over the final 1.2 innings, nailed down the win and his 11th save of the year, striking out the final two batters to end the contest.
His 11 saves tied his own total from 2022 as well as Tyler Beardsley (2016) and Mike Frame (1989) for second on the single-season list, while his 26 career saves tie him with Frame (1987-89) for second on the career list.
Noah Lucchesi (4-6), who was part of that bullpen effort that tossed five shutout innings and struck out five, earned the win in relief, striking out a pair over 1.1 innings of work. Cooper Rons followed with four hits allowed over two innings before giving way to Zalasky in the eighth. Starter Tyler Stewart went the first four, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out four.
Sacramento State closes out the regular season with its final four games at home. The Hornets welcome Pacific to John Smith Field on Tuesday (May 16) at 6 p.m. for their final midweek contest of the year, and host Utah Tech for a crucial three-game WAC series beginning Thursday (May 18) and running through Saturday (May 20).
With its win Sunday, Sacramento State remained in contention for a WAC Tournament berth, moving to within 1.5 games of UTRGV for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Vaqueros, who took 2-of-3 from the Hornets in their series, face Stephen F. Austin on the road next weekend to close out the regular season.
