SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cameron Sewell, Jakob Poturnak, and Luis Pimentel-Guerrero each finished with two hits on the day, but it was a throwing error and a sacrifice fly in the seventh that rallied the Hornets on Friday afternoon, erasing a one-run deficit and helping Sacramento State edge visiting Pacific, 6-5, in the series opener between local rivals at John Smith Field.
The Hornets won for the sixth time in their last eight games in improving to 8-5 overall on the season, while the Tigers had heir record evened up at 7-7 overall.
After surrendering an unearned run in the second, Sacramento State responded with four unanswered runs to take the lead for the first time on the day. With Poturnak on following an infield single that extended his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games, Sewell followed by slugging his second home run of the season over the wall in right, giving the Hornets a 2-1 lead.
Jacob Cortez was then hit by a pitch and moved all the way to third on a hit-and-run by
Luis Pimentel-Guerrero, putting runners at the corners. After a visit to the mound,
Michael Perazzo executed a perfectly placed squeeze attempt, scoring Cortez behind him to make it 3-1.
A sacrifice fly by Poturnak in the third made it a three-run game, but the Tigers did not go quietly. Sacramento State's lead lasted until the sixth when Pacific loaded the bases with one out and plated three runs on a double by Rylan Evans and an RBI groundout by Drake Bicknell to tie the game.
The Tigers took their second lead of the day on another run-scoring groundball in the seventh before the Hornets took advantage of some wildness by the Pacific defense in the home half to take the lead for good.
Pimentel-Guerrero doubled down the left field line to lead of the inning and bring up Perazzo again, who laid down another perfectly placed bunt, but the throw sailed over the head of the Pacific first baseman and into no-man's land in foul territory down the right field line.
Pimentel-Guerrero easily scored from second and Perazzo moved all the way to third on the play, allowing
Tyler White to hit. His fly ball to right sliced into foul territory where it was caught, but deep enough to score Perazzo for the go-ahead run.
After
Noah Lucchesi (3-0) pitched the seventh in relief of starter
Evan Gibbons, closer
Kade Brown came on to start the eighth and nailed down the victory, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out a pair over the final two innings to collect his fifth save in five opportunities.
Gibbons picked up his second "quality start" of the season in the no decision, allowing three earned runs on seven hits over six innings, walking a pair and striking out two. Reliever Carson Revay (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out three over the final three innings in place of starter Ethan Shaver.
The scene shifts to Stockton, Calif., for game two of the series on Saturday night (March 8) as the Hornets and Tigers tangle at 6 p.m. Game three of the series on Sunday (March 9) will have the two teams return to
John Smith Field for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
