OMAHA, Neb. — Junior Cameron Sewell and sophomore Michael Perazzo each had two hits and combined to drive in five while eight of the nine Hornet starters in the lineup finished with hits on the day as Sacramento State evened-up its three-game road series with a 7-4 victory over Creighton on Saturday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.
The Hornets improved to 11-17 overall heading into Sunday's series finale at 11 a.m. PT, while the Bluejays fell to 12-12 on the year.
Sacramento State collected 12 hits overall — the eighth time in the last 12 games that it has finished with double figures in that category — as freshman Sam Harry added a 2-for-4 day with a walk at the top of the lineup to join his two teammates with a multi-hit contest.
Senior right-hander Andrew Monson (1-2) picked up the win in relief, allowing one hit over three scoreless innings and striking out a pair. Starter Elijah Rogalski was stuck with a no-decision, but struck out a Sacramento State career-high seven batters while allowing no earned runs on four hits over 3.2 innings.
Ian Winterhalder and Baylor Sandberg then finished off the game, scattering four hits and an unearned run over 2.1 innings to close it out.
The Hornets were out early on Saturday with a pair of runs in both the second and third innings to grab a quick 4-0 lead. Perazzo dropped a two-out single down the left field line to score Sewell for the first run of the day before Harry walked to load the bases and Erick Dessens brought home another with a base on balls to make it 2-0.
Sewell made it three with an RBI single in the third and a ground ball to the left side was enough to drive home another off the bat of Beasley as the Hornets threatened to break it open.
Creighton answered with three in the fourth to make it a one-run game, taking advantage of a miscue in the field to extend the inning, but Sacramento State was undaunted, clawing all three runs back over the next two innings to rebuild its lead to four.
Perazzo had a two-out two-run double following back-to-back walks to Sewell and Beasley in the fifth, while Sewell drive in a run with two in scoring position on an RBI single in the sixth for the 7-3 lead.
The Bluejays made it interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with one out on a single, walk, and a catcher's interference. A single drove home a run to make it 7-4 and bring the winning run to the plate, but Sandberg induced a 5-4-3 ground ball double play to end the game.
Sacramento State had runners on base in eight of the nine innings on the day, but stranded 13 — nine of those in scoring position.
