Box Score SACRAMENTO -- Nick Iwasa's double into the right field corner scored Gunner Gouldsmith with the tying run in the eighth and Trevor Doyle followed two batters with a single back through the box to plate Colby Lunsford for the eventual game-winner as Sacramento State rallied for a 2-1 victory over visiting California Baptist to open a three-game Western Athletic Conference series on Friday night at John Smith Field.
The win was the Hornets' sixth in their last seven, improving to 22-19 overall and 12-10 in conference play. Sacramento State remained unbeaten in series openers this season at 11-0 and won its 13th consecutive series opener dating back to last season.
Led by a three-hit night from Michael Carpentier, the Lancers fell to 25-13 overall and 11-8 in league play.
California Baptist manufactured the first run of the game on an RBI single by Mitchel Simon in the sixth, but it was Martin Vincelli-Simard who got the rally going in the home half of the eighth, sneaking a double inside the left field line with one out to set the table. After Gouldsmith came in as a pinch runner, Keith Torres moved him up 90 feet with a ground ball behind the second base bag to bring up Iwasa, who looped a ball the opposite way that curved into the right field corner, plenty enough to score Gouldsmith from third and put the go-ahead run in scoring position.
That hit knocked CBU starter Spencer Bengard (1-2) from the game after striking out eight without a walk over 7.2 innings in favor of Liam Rocha, who was set to face Doyle with two outs and the Hornets' junior from Las Vegas came up big. Doyle worked the count full before chopping a two-hopper back up the middle for a base hit, easily scoring Lunsford from second standing up for the 2-1 lead.
That was all Sacramento State needed as right-hander Jack Zalasky came on and shut the door in the ninth, getting a strikeout, ground out, and fly ball to left to nail down his sixth save of the year.
Kevin Haynes (4-0) earned the win in relief for the Hornets, striking out one in his two-thirds of an inning while getting some heads-up help from catcher Dawsen Bacho on a dropped third strike, eliminating Carpentier trying to take third.
Starter Eli Saul was solid, allowing a single run on six hits while striking out seven over 5.2 innings of work in the no decision, while Max Pettey came one to scatter two hits over 1.2 innings of shutout relief.
Doyle finished 2-for-4 to log his fourth multi-hit game in his last six contests, while Zalasky's save was the 10th of his career, moving him into a tie for seventh alongside Jeff Roth (2008-09) and Billy Sinacori (2004-07) on the school's all-time list.
Game two of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday (April 30) at John Smith Field with right-hander Noah Takacs slated to face the Lancers' C.J. Culpepper.
