Resiliency, luck and the power of catcher Joe Evans was on display last weekend, as the Sacramento State baseball team defeated Washington State University two games to one at Hornet Field.

The Hornets defeated the Cougars 9-2 on Friday, but lost Saturdays? first game 8-4. The Hornets rebounded to beat the Cougars in Saturday?s second game, 11-10.

Evans led the Hornets? offense, batting .700 (7-10) with four home runs and 12 RBIs in the three-game series.

“Sometimes you just get into a groove where every pitch seems like it’s a great pitch to hit ? a zone I guess,” Evans said. “The fastball, up and away, was very good to me this weekend.”

Game 3?s game-winning run was scored on a passed ball, as Washington State catcher Zach Franklin misjudged a fastball from reliever Billy Gorrell, allowing Sac State?s Chris McCormack to score from third in the bottom of the tenth.

Evans broke a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the seventh with his second home run of the game, a towering three-run shot to right field.

“Evans was phenomenal,” Hornet coach John Smith said. “I thought he was starting to wear down. His legs looked like they were completely gone from catching game 1 and 2. That was nothing but desire driving him late in the game.”

Evan’s first home run came in the third, as the Hornets put together a three-run rally to get back into the game at 6-4. Two of those runs came on Evan’s home run, a line-drive shot that barely cleared the right-field wall.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Cougars used a two-run home run by Wes Falkenborg, along with a strikeout-wild pitch sequence, which enabled Derek Bruce to score from third to tie the score at nine.

Falkenborg came through for the Cougars (10-7) again as he gave his team a 10-9 lead with an RBI single off Jeff Groeger in the top of the 10th, setting up the unbelievable finish.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Cougar closer Gorrell struck out Keith Carson for the third out, but the ball got away from Franklin allowing Carson to reach first base. Sac State?s Chris Kinsey connected on the very next pitch, slapping an RBI single to tie the game 10, setting up the passed ball that ended the game.

“You can coach for 50 years and not ever see a game end like this one did,” Smith said. “We don’t make anything easy. How we give up a three-run lead and then jockey back into position to win the game on a passed ball is beyond me. We’ve just been able to find ways to win, but this is how you build character.”

Evans had a similar view on the extra-inning affair.

“I would’ve went home and cried if we lost this game,” Evans said. “We just stuck with it and showed a lot of heart today.”

The Hornets? offensive outburst helped Sac State fight through a rough start by pitcher Chris Kinsey. Kinsey allowed six runs off eight hits in the first two innings before settling down and shutting out the Cougars for the next three.

“He didn’t have all of his stuff working today but this was one of those games in which a pitcher just has to fight through his struggles,” Smith said.

In game 1, Cougar starter Brandon Hundt threw eight shutout innings in leading Washington State to an 8-4 victory. The Hornets offense was led by Evans, whose three-run home run to dead centerfield helped Sac State score four runs in the ninth.

Coach Smith gave all the credit to Hundt’s dominant outing.

“He was dealing. He had all four of his pitches working for him today. It was probably one of the best pitching performances I’ve seen in my 24 years of coaching,” Smith said.

Friday, in the opening game of the series, the Hornets used a four-run first inning and a two-run second inning en route to a 9-2 victory. Kinsey went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs, while Evans connected on a three-run home run.

Sac State played San Jose State University on the road Tuesday but results were not available at presstime. The Hornets will play a three-game series at California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo from Friday to Saturday.

Send comments, questions, or concerns to [email protected].

For questions or information regarding the site,please contact [email protected]