STOCKTON, Calif. — Junior Elie Kligman and sophomore JP Smith each drove in runs while sophomore Jaxon Byrd threw a career-high five shutout innings in his first start of the season, but host Pacific won a pitcher's duel in walk-off fashion on Wednesday night, breaking a 2-2 tie with a two-out ninth-inning home run to defeat Sacramento State, 3-2, at Klein Family Field in Stockton, Calif.
The loss dropped the Hornets to 9-12 overall on the season, while the Tigers improved to 4-16 overall and earned a split of midweek contests between the two this year.
Five different Hornets accounted for the team's five hits on the night, the first coming with two outs in the top of the first inning when junior Elie Kligman bounced a single up the middle to score Brett Ott for a 1-0 lead. Ott and Cameron Sewell had walked to start the game before a fielder's choice put runners on the corners to set the table for Kligman's knock.
Meanwhile, Pacific couldn't manage much against Byrd, whose longest outing to date had been five, two-inning stints on the mound — including his previous two appearances this year against No. 22 UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 25) and Fresno State (March 12). The sophomore, who needed an efficient 44 pitches to get through his five-inning effort, scattered just two hits while facing just two over the minimum before giving way to the bullpen in the sixth, stranding a pair of baserunners in scoring position.
The Tigers were then able to mount a comeback to take their first lead of the night in the sixth as a walk, a single, and a two-out wild pitch put a pair in scoring position for Jake Tandy, whose ground ball took a hop and deflected off a Hornet infielder, getting away just far enough to score both runners for the 2-1 advantage. Sacramento State worked away from any further damage, stranding the bases loaded to end the inning.
The Hornets answered with the tying run in the top of the seventh as Ott was hit by a pitch to lead-off the inning and moved to second on a fly ball. A single by Gunner Gouldsmith extended his hitting streak to 14 games and put runners on the corners for JP Smith, who lofted a ball deep to left centerfield after a pitching change to plate Ott and tie the game.
Gouldsmith's 14-game hitting streak is the longest since Smith finished with a team-best 16-game hitting streak last season and ranks among the top 20 longest such recorded streaks in school history.
Sacramento State threatened in the eighth, but a double play cut the rally short after singles by Matt Masciangelo and Jose Ruiz.
The two squads remained tied into the ninth when the Tigers were able to walk it off as Gabe Camacho took a two-out first pitch from Cooper Rons (3-1) over the wall in right centerfield to end the game.
The Hornets had their chances, leaving 10 runners on base for the game — six of those in scoring position, but the Pacific bullpen did its job, allowing just one run on four hits over the final 8.1 innings after starter Reece Wagner was knocked from the game after getting only two outs. Jarryd Wood (1-0) earned the win, allowing just two hits over the final 2.2 innings.
Sacramento State resumes Western Athletic Conference play with a three-game series this weekend at John Smith Field, hosting Abilene Christian on Friday (March 22) at 2 p.m., Saturday (March 23) at 7 p.m., and Sunday (March 24) at 11 a.m.
