STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific baseball team (10-20) battled late into the night against Sacramento State (17-15). A three-run ninth inning gave Pacific life, but Sacramento State prevailed 11-8 in the 10th.
"That was a tough loss," said Head Coach
Chris Rodriguez. "I was proud of the way they did not quit. To come back and tie it in the 9th gives us a chance. Very important to have shutdown innings after we score. Baseball is a game of momentum, and tip your hat to Sac State; they responded well in the tenth."
Graduate
Jeremy Lea led the team with three hits and four RBI. Lea also scored a run in the contest. Graduate
Ben Nemivant added two hits and scored two runs. Junior
Chase Graves and freshman
Peyton Miller both had two hits. Junior
Jacob Weiss drove in two runs on one hit.
Freshman
Ryan Martinez started the game for the Tigers as an 'opener' and pitched one inning with two strikeouts and two runs on three hits. Freshman
Jackson Lux made his first career appearance and struck out one without allowing a hit in 1.2 innings pitched. Sophomore
Caden Duke pitched 3.2 innings in relief with three strikeouts and three runs allowed.
The Hornets started the scoring early, bringing home two runs in the first inning. Lea responded quickly in the bottom of the first with a single up the middle to bring two runners home and tie the game.
Sacramento State retook the lead in the second with an RBI double down the left-field line. Once again, Pacific responded, as Nemivant brought Miller home to score on an error by the first baseman.
Pacific took the lead in the fifth, as once again, Lea came up big for the Tigers, a two-RBI single to left field gave the Tigers their first lead of the game. The Hornets would respond quickly, with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to take an 8-5 lead.
Down to their final out, Lea started the rally with a hit by pitch, and junior
Chaz Myers doubled to left and brought the tying run to the plate. Weiss muscled a single to center and brought home both runners. With freshman
Max Bledy pinch running, Miller singled to third base to put the winning run on. Otis would then double, bringing in the tying run and giving the Tigers a chance to walk it off. Pacific could not get the final run home, and the game went to extra innings.
Sacramento State scored three runs on five straight hits in the tenth, and Pacific could not replicate its ninth-inning magic, going down in order.
The Tigers are back on the road this weekend, traveling to Saint Mary's for a three-game set.
