LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Steven Moretto's second home run of the season broke a four-all tie in the top of the eighth, while right-hander Jack Zalasky earned his second win in as many days with 2.1 shutout innings, helping lift the Sacramento State baseball team to a 5-4 victory and a series win over No. 6 Long Beach State on Saturday afternoon at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

The Hornets won their sixth straight game to start the 2022 campaign — the program's best start since yearly game-by-game records are available beginning with the 1986 season. Coupled with its win on Friday night, Sacramento State won its first series against the Dirtbags (2-3 overall) since taking two of three in 2000.

Zalasky (3-0), who earned the win on Friday in relief after allowing only one hit and striking out two over the final two innings, was just as stellar on Saturday, scattering three hits and striking out one in getting the final seven outs. Noah Lucchesi gave the Hornets another solid outing from their starter as the Elk Grove, Calif., native pitched five shutout innings while surrendering just seven hits and striking out one in the no-decision.

Sacramento State scored early and often off Long Beach State starter Marques Johnson, plating a quartet of runs in jumping out to a 4-0 lead. After a lead-off double by Jorge Bojorquez, a walk to Cesar Valero, and a wild pitch, put two in scoring position, Dawsen Bacho was able to plate one with a ground ball to the left side, scoring Bojorquez for the 1-0 lead.

The Hornets kept up the pressure in the second, loading the bases with one out thanks to a walk to Martin Vincelli-Simard and back-to-back singles by Gunner Gouldsmith and Josh Rolling. After a fly ball for the second out, Nick Iwasa drew a walk to plate the second run of the game and Valero lined a ball up the middle to score two more for the four-run advantage.

It remained that way until Long Beach State found its bats in a big seventh inning, rallying to tie the game off the Sacramento State bullpen with four runs thanks to three, two-out hits. Tanner Carlson had a two-run double, Chase Luttrell followed with an RBI triple, and Jonathon Long tied the game with an RBI single.

Moretto then wasted no time in giving his team back the lead as he sent a pitch over the wall in centerfield off reliever Jake Rons (0-1) for his second home run of the season and a 5-4 lead. The blast was the 28th of his career, giving him sole possession of fifth on the school's all-time list.

The Hornets tried to tack on more with a single and a walk, but Rons was able to wiggle off the hook with a double play to keep it a one-run game.

That, however, was all Zalasky would need. The right-hander allowed a harmless two-out double in the eighth while inducing a trio of ground balls, and shut the door in the ninth, working around a one-out single to get a strikeout and fly ball to end the game.

Gouldsmith finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Valero and Jeffery Heard each finished with a pair of hits on the day to pace the Sacramento State offense, which rapped out 10 hits on the day. Iwasa also walked twice — two of five free passes issued by the Long Beach State staff on the day.

Sacramento State goes for its first-ever sweep of the Dirtbags on Sunday (Feb. 27) afternoon at 1 p.m., in a game scheduled to be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform.