SACRAMENTO — Senior Gunner Gouldsmith tied his career high with four hits, including his first home run of the season, while senior Cesar Valero also homered to move up the Sacramento State career list in the category, but the Hornets could not answer an early onslaught from host Grand Canyon, falling to the Lopes, 12-4, on Saturday afternoon.
Sacramento State fell to 11-17 overall and 5-7 in the WAC with the loss, while GCU improved to 15-11 overall and 9-3 in league play.
Gouldsmith's four hits matched his against Nevada back on March 19 when he also finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored a career-high four RBI, and marked his third career four-hit game. Aside from it being his first of the year, his ninth-inning home run was also his first since he left the yard at Stephen F. Austin nearly a year ago to the day.
Senior Jorge Bojorquez finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored — one of eight Hornets to collect a base hit on the day. Valero, who got Sacramento State on the board for the first time with his solo home run on the first pitch of the fourth inning for his sixth of the season, collected the 29th home run of his career to move into a tie for sixth on the school's all-time list with Gabe Jacobo (2006-08).
Grand Canyon opened the game with nine unanswered runs over the first three innings before Valero's blast, and the Hornets added two more in the sixth as Ryan Christiansen drove home one with a double and Troy Harding collected his first RBI in the green and gold with a ground ball.
The Lopes tacked on three more in the seventh to get the runs back before Gouldsmith put the exclamation point on his day with a blast over the right field wall.
JP Smith, Bojorquez, Christiansen, and Myles Walton all finished with doubles in the game, giving the Hornets 11 two-baggers on the weekend. Sacramento State's 12 hits marked the 10th time in the last 14 games that the Hornets finished with 10-or-more hits in a game.
Grand Canyon's Isaac Lyon (3-0) earned the win, allowing three runs on 11 hits and striking out four over seven innings of work, while Cooper Rons (3-2) suffered the loss for Sacramento State.
Following the Easter holiday, the Hornets will play five games in seven days beginning on Monday (April 1) at 6 p.m., hosting San Francisco in a single-game non-conference tilt at John Smith Field. Sacramento State then travels to Nevada on Tuesday (April 2) and hosts California Baptist in a three-game weekend series on April 5-7.
