SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State baseball team opened the 2025 regular season in winning fashion on Friday afternoon, outlasting visiting San Francisco for a 4-3 victory at John Smith Field.

The Hornets won for the fifth time in their last six opening day contests, improving to 1-0 on the season in the first series against their Bay Area rivals since 2021. The Dons, who out-hit their hosts by a 6-5 count, fell to 0-1 on the year.

Senior right-hander Tyler Stewart (1-0) picked up the win, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out three over five innings. Sophomore right-hander Kade Brown picked up his first save of the year (and the ninth of his career), allowing two baserunners over two innings of work to nail down the win.

Lance Santerre (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing all four runs on five hits over 3.1 innings of work, walking four and striking out three. The Dons' bullpen did well, throwing 4.2 innings of scoreless, hitless relief, striking out seven and working around seven walks to strand seven baserunners —five of those in scoring position.

Both teams were scoreless through two before San Francisco broke up the deadlock in the top of the third when Zack Ramppen snuck his first home run of the year inside the left field foul pole for the 1-0 lead.

The Hornets responded with a big inning in the home half as sophomore Myles Walton collected the team's first hit of the day and Tyler White moved him into scoring position with a walk. Junior JP Smith was plunked by an 0-2 pitch to load the bases for freshman Jakob Portunak, who worked a full-count walk to plate Walton and tie the game.

It then took junior Elie Kligman just two pitches to untie the game as he blooped a single into right field that dropped under the diving outfielder, allowing both White and Smith to touch home plate and five the Hornets a lead they would not relinquish.

Kligman indirectly had a hand in his team's fourth run of the day as White and Smith knocked back-to-back singles to force a pitching change. A fly out to deep center moved White to third for Kligman, who walked on four pitches, but ball four sailed over the head of the catcher enough to plate White and make it 4-1.

San Francisco clawed its way back to make it a one-run game in the sixth against the Sacramento State bullpen. A walk, double, and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Dons, who plated a pair of runs thanks to back-to-back walks by Tyler Harries and Matty Fung to make it 4-3. 

Left-hander Noah Lucchesi then came in and shut the door, striking out Ramppen on three pitches to end the threat. Lucchesi struck out a pair in his inning of work while sophomore Bryce Stockton got a fly ball to end the seventh before giving way to Brown in the eighth.

The Dons threatened against Brown in the eighth as a walk and a pinch-hit single to lead-off the inning put two on. A foul pop-up and a fielder's choice had runners at the corners, but Brown was able to wriggle off the hook, getting a ground ball to third to end the inning.

In the ninth, Brown left little doubt, getting a ground ball, a line out, and a pop-up to the right side to end the game.

Five different Hornets accounted for the team's hit total, but were able to work 11 walks off San Francisco pitching on the day — three of those by White and two more each by Kligman and Jacob Cortez. 

The scene switched to San Francisco on Saturday (Feb. 15) for game two of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Benedetti Diamond.

Game three will be played at John Smith Field on Sunday (Feb. 16) with the finale back in the Bay Area on Monday (Feb. 17). Both contests are also scheduled for 2 p.m.