SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State offense set seasons highs with 21 runs on 22 hits while six pitchers combined to scatter just seven hits on the day as the host Hornets took the four-game series with visiting Saint Joseph's thanks to a 21-2 victory in the finale on Sunday afternoon at John Smith Field.
Sacramento State improved to 3-4 overall on the year, posting the most runs in a single game dating back to a 21-9 victory over Nevada in 2024 and the most hits in a game since rapping out 23 hits in a game-two victory at Grand Canyon on May 3 of last season.
With the loss, the Hawks fell to 2-5 overall.
Senior utility Luis Pimentel-Guerrero finished 4-for-6 with three runs scored, a home run, a walk, and four RBI, while outfielder Brett Ott added a 4-for-5 day with two walks, two runs scored, and two RBI in the leadoff spot.
All told, eight different Sacramento State hitters finished with multi-hit games and six drove in two-or-more runs to pace the offense. Eight of the nine starters collected at least one hit, while the Hornets slugged a combined eight doubles in addition to Pimentel-Guerrero's home run — including two each off the bats of Jakob Poturnak and Sam Harry.
Ott, Erick Dessens, and Orlando Cobarrubias added doubles as the Hornets finished with the most in that category since they had eight at Grand Canyon on May 8, 2022.
Starter Carson Timothy went the first four innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out three, but took a no-decision. Jackson Halverson (1-0) picked up his second career win in relief, pitching a perfect fifth inning and striking out one. Adam Enyart, Konner Entz, Baylor Sandberg, and Ari Kligman followed with an inning each as the Sacramento State bullpen allowed just three combined hits and struck out five over the final five innings.
Saint Joseph's starter Luke Parise (0-1) suffered the loss, charged with eight runs on seven hits and walking two in 1.2 innings of work.
The Hornets scored at least one run in each of the first five innings and then put up a six-spot in the eighth to run away from the Hawks. Sacramento State scored three in the first on a Harry two-run double and a Pimentel-Guerrero single, then answered with five in the second after Saint Joseph's made it a one-run contest with two in the top of the second.
Poturnak's two-run double in the second preceded Pimtenel-Guerrero's fourth home run of his Hornet career to make it an 8-2 game and the rout was on.
Ott added an RBI double in the third followed by a Sewell RBI single and another run-scoring hit from Ott in the fourth. Harry, Cobarrubias, and Erick Dessens all drove in runs in the fifth, before the big eighth inning that saw Cobarrubias, Michael Perazzo, Dessens, and Ayden Hadley bring home runs with hits.
After playing its first seven games at home to open the season, Sacramento State hits the road for the first time in 2026 with a midweek game at Pacific on Tuesday (Feb. 24) at 6 p.m. A three-game home-and-home weekend series then follows as the Hornets travel to California on Friday (Feb. 27) and Sunday (March 1) while hosting the Golden Bears on Saturday (Feb. 28) at 2 p.m.
