SACRAMENTO — Senior Gunner Gouldsmith hit his third home run of the season to highlight a two-hit, four-RBI night, but Sacramento State's early lead wasn't enough to hold off visiting Nevada as the Wolfpack plated 11 unanswered runs and withstood a late Hornet rally en route to a 14-8 win on Tuesday night at John Smith Field.
Playing its final midweek game of the year, Sacramento State fell to 23-27 overall with only Western Athletic Conference series against Stephen F. Austin and UTRGV remaining on the schedule over the next two weekends. The Wolf Pack improved to 21-23 overall with the win.
Gouldsmith notched his team-best 18th multi-hit game of the season, scoring a pair of runs and adding two walks to his final stat line. He got the Hornets on the board with a run in the first on Elie Kligman's fielder's choice and the home team tacked on a second run on a bases loaded wild pitch for the 2-0 lead.
After Nevada broke up the shutout in the second, it was Gouldsmith again who struck for Sacramento State, slugging his third home run of the year off the top of the batter's eye in right field, scoring Matt Masciangelp ahead of him to extend the Hornets' lead to 4-1.
That's when the Wolf Pack offense came to life, scoring twice in the third, four times in the fourth, and five times in the fifth, to put the game nearly out of reach.
Sacramento State clawed its way back after the stretch with four runs in the seventh as Ryan Christiansen drew a bases loaded walk — the third in the first four batters around a Cameron Sewell single — and Gouldsmith cashed in two more runs with a single through the left side to make it 13-7. After another walk loaded the bases, Brett Ott closed the gap even further with a sacrifice fly, but that would be as close as the Hornets would get.
Sewell added a mulit-hit game of his own with a 2-for-4 night, while six other Hornets collected hits on the night, including doubles from Jorge Bojorquez and Jaxon Byrd, who also drew two walks apiece. All told, Sacramento State drew 11 walks off Nevada pitching for the game.
Eddie Tierney (2-1) was credited with the win for the Wolf Pack, allowing just one hit and striking out four over 2.1 innings of work. Bryce Stockton (0-3) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on two hits in his one inning.
The Hornets' weekend series against Stephen F. Austin begins Friday (May 10) at 4 p.m., with Saturday's (May 11) game two scheduled for 7 p.m. First pitch for Sunday's (May 12) finale is scheduled for Noon, with the Sacramento State senior class honored following the final out as part of "Senior Day" festivities.
