Box Score SACRAMENTO -- Sophomore Cesar Valero finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and his eighth home run of the season, while Steven Moretto also added a pair of hits, but visiting Grand Canyon took advantage of extra opportunities to rally for a 3-2 victory over Sacramento State in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at John Smith Field.
The Hornets fell to 11-12 overall and 3-6 in Western Athletic Conference play with the loss, while the division-leading 'Lopes improved to 16-9 overall and 8-1 in league play.
Sunday's performance extended Valero's hitting streak to 10 games — the second-longest of the 2022 season behind only Jorge Bojorquez's run of hits in the first 11 games of the year. The two-hit game marked Valero's team-high eighth multi-hit game of the season as the Calgary, Alberta, native is batting .368 (14-for-38) with 10 runs scored, six walks, and five RBI during his current streak.
Moretto also logged his fourth multi-hit game of the season with singles in the seventh and ninth innings, extending his own hitting streak to six consecutive games.
After falling behind early in each of the series' first two games, it was the Hornets' turn to jump out to a lead on Sunday, plating single runs in the first and third innings. Valero got the scoring started by lacing a one-out single to right in the first, went to third on Jeffery Heard's single to right, and scored on Dawsen Bacho's fly ball to centerfield for the 1-0 advantage.
The lead went to 2-0 on Valero's eighth home run of the year — a towering shot that reached the roof of the parking structure in left field. Entering the weekend ranked third in the WAC in home runs, It was his first since March 15 at San Francisco and the most by a Sacramento State hitter since Moretto and Matt Smith finished with eight in 2021.
From that point on, it was all Grand Canyon, which took advantage of three misplays in the field en route to its three runs. The 'Lopes plated two in the fifth with the help of two errors — the first of which could have led to a double play following a lead-off single and the second on a ground ball that led to GCU's first run of the day after a sacrifice bunt moved a pair into scoring position.
A sacrifice fly by Cade Verdusco followed, plating a second run that tied the game up at two apiece.
In the sixth, back-to-back singles opened the frame, with the second hit featuring a misplay in the outfield that allowed the 'Lopes runner to move from first to third. A strikeout followed, but a fly ball to left by Jaxson Wall was deep enough to score Jacob Wilson for the go-ahead run.
Sacramento State had golden opportunities to answer both of Grand Canyon's scoring innings, loading the bases with one out in the fifth on a single by Josh Rolling and walks to Nick Iwasa and Dylan McPhillips before a double play got the 'Lopes out of trouble, and putting the lead-off hitters on in the sixth and seventh innings only to come up empty.
The Hornets had runners in scoring position in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, but the GCU bullpen came through, stranding four in the final three innings to secure the win.
Starter Connor Mark (5-1) earned the win for the 'Lopes, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out three over six innings, while three relievers combined to limit Sacramento State to just two hits in the final three frames.
Colin Hunter (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing three unearned runs on five hits over six innings, while the trio of Kevin Haynes, Max Pettey, and Jack Zalasky, combined to surrender just one hit and two walks over the final three innings. Zalasky struck out four of the eight batters he faced over the final two innings of work.
Following a Tuesday night (March 29) contest against Pacific, the Hornets hit the road for their next seven games beginning with a three-game WAC series at Utah Valley on April 1-3 in Orem, Utah. First pitch for the midweek contest against the Tigers is scheduled for 6 p.m. at John Smith Field.
