SACRAMENTO -- Nick Iwasa finished 3-for-4 with an RBI in the opener, while teammate Gunner Gouldsmith added a pair of hits and drove in a run with a walk in the nightcap, but No. 20 Sacramento State could not come up with the timely hits as Houston Baptist hung on to sweep Saturday's doubleheader by the scores of 4-1 and 3-2 at John Smith Field.

The losses dropped the Hornets to 8-3 overall on the year as Sacramento State combined to strand 18 runners on base between the two contests. The Huskies improved to 4-8 overall with the two wins.

Iwasa's three hits matched his season high set in the season opener against Northern Illinois and matched in Friday's 21-4 victory. The senior infielder reached safely in his first seven plate appearances in the series before an error in Saturday's opener ended the run. Iwasa has now reached base safely in all nine of his appearances, adding a pair of walks in the nightcap.

After going hitless in his first three games, Gouldsmith has found a groove, recording hits in five of his last seven contests, including collecting his fourth multi-hit game in that stretch with his two singles in the nightcap. 

Sophomore Jorge Bojorquez continued it torrid start with hits in each end of the twinbill, extending his hitting streak to 12 consecutive games dating back to last year. He rapped a single and walked twice in the opener, adding a single and a run scored in game two. 

In the opener, a sac fly and a run-scoring ground ball staked Houston Baptist to the 2-0 lead in the second before the Hornets clawed a run back in the fourth on an Iwasa RBI single, scoring Trevor Doyle to cut the deficit in half. Sacramento State stayed close, but the Huskies were able to clear some breathing room in the sixth on a two-run single by Tyler LaRue for the 4-1 lead.

Andrew Reitmeyer then came on to shut the door over the final 1.1 innings, getting the last out of the sixth to strand runners at the corners, then setting the Hornets down in order to earn his second save of the year. Sacramento State had numerous chances, but left eight runners in scoring position for the game, including the bases loaded in the third.

Austin Morris (1-0) earned the win for HBU in relief of starter Jared Burch, who went the first four innings, working around a hit and two walks in his only inning of work. Noah Lucchesi (0-1) suffered the loss, tagged for two runs and four hits over four innings, striking out two.

In the second game of the day both teams combined to score all their runs in the fourth as Houston Baptist hung on for the 3-2 win.

It took one swing of the bat by Parker Edwards in that decisive fourth to put the Huskies ahead as back-to-back singles to lead-off the inning, followed by a sacrifice bunt, put two in scoring position for the junior, who launched a three-run shot off the parking structure with two outs for the 3-0 advantage.

Bojorquez got the Hornets' rally started in the home half with a one-out single and moved all the way to third after Steven Moretto was hit by a pitch and Josh Rolling walked to load the bases. Following a strikeout for the second out, Carson Blatnick was hit by a pitch to drive in Sacramento State's first run, and Gouldsmith followed with a walk to drive in a second and make it a one-run contest.

A pitching change brought in Chad Ricker (1-1) in relief and he struck out the Hornets' next hitter to stop the bleeding and he retired the next six batters he faced before running into trouble in the seventh.

A bunt single by Gouldsmith with one out started the potential rally as Iwasa drew a walk to put two on. Reitmeyer was, again, summoned from the bullpen to close the door and he did not disappoint, getting a ground ball and a strikeout to end the game and nail down his third save of the year.

Ricker earned the win in 2.2 innings of relief, allowing only one hit and walking one while striking out three. Starter Colin Hunter (1-1) suffered the loss for the Hornets, allowing three runs on six hits in four innings while striking out two. Kevin Haynes and Max Pettey combined on three innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit while striking out two apiece.

Sacramento State looks to split the series in the finale on Sunday morning (March 6), with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. at John Smith Field.