Coming extremely close to taking two of three games from Santa Barbara over the weekend, Sac State baseball lost in extra innings on Sunday at Hornet field and lost for the 15th time in 18 games.

Sac State (18-25, 2-7) battled Santa Barbara (29-11, 4-2) on Sunday, and led for most of the game before the Gauchos scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning and two more in the top of the 10th.

Hornet starter Jeff Groeger pitched into the eighth inning, when his team led 7-5, but things started to unravel from there. Groeger got two of the first four hitters out, but sophomore Steve Cuckovich came in and walked two guys before closer Michael Penbera walked in the tying run.

Groeger pitched 7 2/3, allowing seven runs, four of them earned, and 13 base runners against the team with the highest batting average (.350) in the nation going into the series.

In the 10th inning, Santa Barbara scored twice more off Penbera, with two singles and a walk.

Sac State senior Aurelio Jackson had two hits, and three runs scored in the loss and first baseman Tim Maghan had two hits and two RBI for the Hornets.

On Saturday, in the second game of a doubleheader, Sac State?s Chris Kinsey won a battle of freshman hurlers as the Hornets scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out a 4-2 victory.

“We got some clutch hits, and that has been non-existent for a while,” Smith said. “To win with four runs was big.”

Kinsey threw seven innings, allowing eight hits, three walks, and two runs, in what was his most impressive start of his short career.

“With each start, he?s gotten a little better,” Smith said. “He?s really settling into his role??he?s not a typical freshman anymore.”

Kinsey agrees with his coach, that he improves every time he is called upon.

“I have learned something from each start,” Kinsey said. “My control was a lot better today and I had a good fastball and curveball.”

In the last of the first inning, left fielder Daryl Grant drove in Jackson with a double and catcher Joe Evans singled Grant in with a single to right field, to put the Hornets up 2-0.

The Gauchos scored twice in the top of the fourth inning to tie the score, as Kinsey balked in one run and Ryan Stringham another.

Kinsey and Santa Barbara freshman Matt Vasquez continued to pitch well over the next few innings, until the Hornets? bats resurfaced in the bottom of the seventh inning. Grant led off with a single, and John C. Freitas and Tito Barba had RBI base hits, putting up Sac State 4-2.

Grant, who hasn?t gotten much playing time lately, got the start in both games on Saturday.

“They threw two right-handers,” Smith said. “He?s always been a good hitter, just not consistent. Today, he delivered in big situations and he was selective with pitches.”

Penbera came on in the ninth inning to nail down the victory for Sac State, notching his ninth save.

Saturday morning?s game was ugly for the Hornets.

Santa Barbara scored three runs in the top of the first inning, four in the next, and then two in the third inning, to take a 9-1 lead after just three innings. Sac State added up some late runs, but fell to the Gauchos, 13-6. Sac State also committed five errors.

Sac State starting pitcher Mike Miranda was bounced in the second inning, giving up six hits and seven runs, only three of which were earned.

Jackson, Barba, Grant and senior Carlos Morales all got two hits for Sac State in the losing effort. Morales leads the Hornets with a .321 batting average and 32 RBI.

The Hornets travel to Cal Poly on Friday and will play a three-game weekend set in the land of the Mustangs.