FRESNO, Calif. — Junior Jacob Cortez finished with a season-high two hits and drove in a run while teammates Jakob Poturnak and Michael Perazzo extended lengthy hitting streaks on the night, but host Fresno State rebounded from an early two-run deficit and rallied for a 3-2 win over Sacramento State on Tuesday night in Fresno, Calif.
The loss was the second straight for the Hornets, who fell to 9-8 overall on the year, playing in their fifth one-run result in their last six contests. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, snapped a four-game skid and improved to 6-10 on the season.
Cortez finished 2-for-4 and drove in his team's first of two second-inning runs, while five other Sacramento State batters finished with hits. Among that group were Poturnak and Perazzo, with the former extending his team-best hitting streak to 14 consecutive games and the latter adding on to his personal eight-game hitting streak.
An infield single by Poturnak to lead off the season was followed by a walk to Myles Walton to put a pair on the lead-off the second inning. After a strikeout, Cortez followed with his single to centerfield, easily plating Poturnak for the 1-0 lead.
That was followed by Perazzo, who also took a 2-2 pitch into centerfield, scoring Walton from second base and giving the Hornets a two-run advantage.
Fresno State responded with a run in its half of the second as a double play nearly got the Hornets out of the bottom of the inning, but an infield single off the bat of Owen Faust scored Justin Stransky from third to halve the Sacramento State lead with two outs.
Stransky accounted for the tying run in the third with an RBI single before the two bullpens went to work, matching zeros until Fresno State was able to push across the go-ahead run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Murf Gray for the 3-2 lead.
The Hornets were able to get the lead-off hitters on in both the eighth and ninth as JP Smith singled in the former and pinch-hitter Cameron Sewell doubled in the latter, but Sacramento State was unable to equalize despite getting Sewell to third with two outs in its final at-bats.
Junior Carson Latimer earned the no-decision in his first start of the year for the Hornets, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out a pair in a season-high 3.0 innings of work. The bullpen then kept Sacramento State close, allowing only one run on four hits over the final five innings and striking out six.
Jackson Halverson (0-1) suffered the loss, while Andrew Monson struck out a team-high three batters in his two perfect innings.
Drew Townson (1-0) earned the win for the Bulldogs, scattering four hits and striking out three over the final three innings of the night, combining with teammate Kaleb Hay, who went 4.1 innings while walking only one and striking out five.
After playing five games in five days, the Hornets now have three days to prepare for an abbreviated series against Bay Area rival Saint Mary's this coming weekend. Due to the forecast of inclement weather, the three-game series with the Gaels has been shortened to a Saturday (March 15) doubleheader at John Smith Field beginning at 1 p.m.
