John Acha knocked in three RBI and both Sacramento State starters lasted into the ninth innings as the Hornets (30-20) swept a Sunday doubleheader against San Jose State (22-25) to earn their 30th victory on the season.-

“I knew we’d at least reach 30,” said Acha when asked to compare the team’s preseason outlook with their current output. “We should probably have 35 wins because we lost some close games.” Sac State baseball hasn’t won 30 games since 1993.-

The Hornets and Spartans were supposed to play a three-game series, but both Friday’s opener in San Jose and Saturday’s game at Hornet Field were cancelled due to rain.-

In the first game, junior Dan Smith (4-1) pitched a complete game, allowing only one run on two hits to earn the 2-1 victory.-

Sunday’s game was only the fourth start of the season for Smith, who admits he’s trying to make a case for himself as one of the top starters for next year.-

Smith has lost over ten pounds since the season began, and credits his improved performance on the mound to getting in shape. “It helps me throw longer, and my arms and legs still feel good late in games.”-

In the second game, Sac State won 2-1 when Acha smashed a solo home run in the bottom of the tenth inning after reliever Chris Kinsey had blown his save opportunity in the ninth.

-“It felt good off the bat, but I wasn’t quite sure,” said Acha of his game-winning home run, only his second round-tripper of the season.

“I’m not usually the pop guy, so I’m not going to get used to this.”-Starter Steve Correa pitched brilliantly for the Hornets, scattering six hits through 8 1-3 innings, but manager John Smith yanked the 6-foot-6 senior after he gave up a one-out single in the ninth.-

Kinsey was brought in to close the game, but he gave up a game-tying RBI single to San Jose State’s Aaron Bates that glanced off of the diving first baseman Mikela Olsen’s glove.-

Correa claims he wasn’t upset about being pulled despite pitching a shutout into the ninth. “I have a lot of confidence in Kinsey, so it wasn’t a big thing to me.”-

Sac State will next travel to Pullman to take on the Washington State Cougars in a three-game series starting Friday.

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