Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jason Finley Sacramento State pitcher Jesse Darrah took the mound in Saturday's matchup against Utah Valley. Darrah's fastball and slider proved too much for Utah Valley batting. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jason Finley Hornet Infielder Hunter Martinez gives teammates some high fives after sliding into home and scoring a run in the bottom of the 3rd inning. [Click to enlarge]

The Sacramento State Hornets Baseball team split a double header with the Utah Valley Wolverines, Friday at Hornet Field. The Hornets were victorious in the first game 7-5, but dropped the second by a score of 9-6.

The Hornets were the first to score in game one when Senior Jeff Roth hit a solo home run in the second inning.

"It was elevated and over the plate, so I put a swing on it," Roth said about the pitch.

In the third inning the Hornets added two more runs, advancing to a 3-0 lead. Senior Derrick Chung provided the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly, and sophomore Blake Crosby brought home the second with a RBI single.

After two scoreless innings the Wolverines made in on the board in the top of the third, to which the Hornets responded quickly. In the bottom of the sixth, senior Hunter Martinez hit a double that brought in two runs which was followed by a double from Chung which brought home one more run, making the score 6-1.

The Wolverines made an effort to get back into the game scoring two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to make it a one run game at 6-5. However, they couldn't make it over the top and in the bottom of the eighth Martinez was brought home to score the game's final run.

Game two was far less impressive for the Hornets. Chung was able to score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first, but Utah Valley responded strongly and quickly in the second by scoring a pair of runs. The Wolverines then opened the game up by scoring two more runs in the fifth and sixth innings bringing the score to 4-1.

The Hornets played strong in the seventh and began to mount what might have been a comeback when Martinez hit a sacrifice fly RBI and make the score 4-2. But, in the top of the eighth the Hornets gave up four runs on a grand slam by Wolverines senior Cole Anderson, which gave them an 8-2 lead and all but killed the hopes of a Hornet comeback.

The Hornets finished the inning after a solo homerun by Roth, his second of the day, but the Wolverines got the run right back in the ninth by scoring a run and making the score 9-3.

The Hornets where able to make things interesting once again by loading the bases with only one out and then scored a run when Martinez was brought home on a balk. The Hornets scored again when Crosby hit a RBI single and brought home yet another run on a sacrifice fly from Roth. However, with a score of 9-6 the Hornets were unable to score again.

Following the game Hunter said about the loss, "In the first game we got hits when we needed to, in the second game their starters had our number. We didn't quit, that's one thing we can take away from today."

Roth also commented on the difference in the Hornets play in the two games. "In the first game we did well enough to come away with a victory, but in the second we came out flat footed and we were not prepared for nine innings."

On Saturday the Hornets will face Utah Valley in a double header once again, and they will be looking to come away with two victories.

"They're a good team, but they are a team we could have swept," Chung said.

They will have opportunities, and after spending a day with the Wolverines they will know exactly what to be waiting for.

Roth said, "Their pitchers aren't afraid to throw over the plate, we need to capitalize on it."


Andrew McFadden can be reached at amccfadden@statehornet.com

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