SACRAMENTO -- Junior Cesar Valero finished with three hits and five runs batted in while senior Martin Vincelli-Simard tied the school record with his 35th career home run as part of his own three-hit night, helping lead the Sacramento State baseball team to a 12-3 Western Athletic Conference series victory over Utah Tech on Friday night at John Smith Field.
The win was the fourth straight for the Hornets, who improved to 29-26 overall and 13-16 in league play heading into Saturday's series finale. A win there would give Sacramento State its 11th consecutive 30-win season, extending a run that dates back to the 2012 campaign.
With the loss, the Trailblazers fell to 13-38 overall and 8-21 in conference games.
Vincelli-Simard's 17th home run of the season brought him level with record-holder Harvey Hargrove, matching the Hornet great's total that has stood since 1997. The home run, which also moved Vincelli-Simard into a tie for fourth on the single-season list alongside Will Fitzpatrick's 1993 total, was one of three slugged by the Hornets on the night, marking the sixth consecutive game with a home run and the fifth time in that stretch that they have hit multiple home runs in a game.
Finishing with double-digit runs for the third consecutive game and double-digit hits for the fourth straight contest, the offense was clicking on all cylinders in support of starter
Evan Gibbons (4-4), who was masterful over seven innings, allowing just two runs on four hits and striking out a career-high eight in the win. He retired eight straight hitters at one point from the second through the fifth, allowing just three baserunners after giving up two early runs.
Wesley Harper then closed out the game, charged with a run on one hit and striking out two over the final two innings.
After spotting Utah Tech a pair of runs in the top of the first, Sacramento State answered quickly in the home half as
Jorge Bojorquez and
Wehiwa Aloy led-off with singles and were balked into scoring position for Vincelli-Simard, whose ground ball was enough to plate Bojorquez to cut the deficit in half.
JP Smith's grounder in the very next at bat was then misplayed on the infield, scoring Aloy easily to tie the game.
The Hornets then broke the game wide open in the third as Valero came through with two outs, doubling to the wall in right centerfield to score a pair and make it 4-2.
Jeffery Heard followed two pitches later with his 12th home run of the year, scoring Valero ahead of him for a 6-2 advantage, and
Jacob Cortez singled home
Garet Crenshaw (who doubled) to cap a five-run inning and build a 7-2 lead.
While Gibbons was busy keeping the Trailblazers at bay, Sacramento State kept piling on the runs as Valero led-off the fifth with his 10th home run of the year on the first pitch and Heard eventually came around to score on a double-play ball later in the inning for a 9-2 advantage.
Valero, now one of six Hornets to collect 10-or-more home runs this season, added two more RBI in the sixth with a single and Sacramento State capped the scoring on Vincelli-Simard's record-tying home run in the eighth after the Trailblazers put up a run of their own with a home run in the top of the inning.
In addition to VIncelli-Simard and Valero's three-hit games, four other Hornets finished with two hits while every Sacramento State starter finished with a hit for the second consecutive night.
Sacramento State goes for the series sweep on Saturday (May 20) at Noon, with the Hornets' 2023 senior class honored as part of "Senior Day" festivities following the game.
