The Sacramento State Hornets Baseball team dropped a 7-4 decision to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Sunday, April 26 at Hornet Field. The game was the third in a four game home stand against Louisiana Tech in which Sacramento State is now 2-1.

The Hornets got to work early, senior Hunter Martinez led off in the bottom of the first and hit for a single to get on base. Later, junior Josh Powers would hit an RBI double down the left-field line that would allow Martinez to reach the plate and score the run.

The Bulldogs were quick to respond in the second inning. Their lead-off batter hit a shot right past second base, and just out of the reach of diving Short Stop, sophomore Derrick Chung for the base hit. The following batter hit the ball to nearly the same location. This time Chung was able to catch up to the ball and quickly step on second before sending the ball to first for the double play. Despite fielding of the Hornets they were unable to escape the inning without giving up a run when the Bulldog’s Clint Ewing hit a solo homerun that went just over the fence in right-center. The Hornets threatened to score a run of their own before the inning was out. With a runner on third Martinez would hit the ball to the warning track in deep left field but the side was retired when the Bulldog’s outfielder caught up to it and made the running catch.

With the score tied 1-1 Louisiana Tech came out in the third and had a big inning. Following two base hits the Bulldog’s Kevin Winn hit the ball to the fence in center field, junior Tim Wheeler was able to get up and knock down what would have otherwise been a three run home run, but the ball was dropped as he was unable to secure it coming down. The play ended as a 2 run double.

“I got a good jump on the ball. I hit the wall just as it was getting to me and it jolted my body. I just couldn’t hang on to it,” Wheeler said.

The Hornets would get their third out moments later and Wheeler would not have to wait long to seek some vengeance and make another big play. With only one out he came to the plate a promptly sent the ball sailing over the wall in right-center field to make the score 3-2. The solo home run was his 15th of the season.

“I was just trying to stay clutch in the box, be confidant up there, help the team out, and put some good swings on pitches,” Wheeler said,

Senior Blake Crosby continues the inning with a base hit sent over second base that dropped into center field. However he would be unable to score as the next two batters would hit easily catch fly balls to left field.

Sacramento State had a rough fourth inning. After two base hits and only a single out a balk would advance the runners to second and third allowing a run to score as the Hornets made the second out of the inning, a pop fly hit to deep left field. The Hornets made the final out and stopped any further damage when Crosby made a diving catch at third base to stop a bullet sent down the left field line.

The Hornets were unable to score in the fourth and the Bulldogs continued to roll in the top of the fifth. The bases were loaded after two base hits and a batter was hit by a pitch. The first run of the inning was scored when the runners on second and third advanced following an out made on a pop fly to right field. Another run would score when a base hit made it through the right field side and the last run of the inning came home when a base hit was lobbed over first base and then dropped, just managing to stay fair.

With the score 7-2 in favor of Louisiana Tech the sixth inning came and went as the fist scoreless inning of the day. The Hornets quickly obtained two outs in the top of the seventh as well and then retired the side when a pinch runner attempted to steal second base. Following the pitch, sophomore Catcher Brent Hottman quickly sent the ball to second base where Martinez was able to make the close play.

Down by five runs the Hornets attempted to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Aaron Crouch hit a double that bounced off the wall in left field and was nearly a home run. Wheeler then advanced him to third on a base hit single to right field. Powers was able to bring both runners home, Wheeler all the way from first, when he hit an RBI double down the left field line with two outs, making the score 7-4.

The Hornets would once again threaten to score in the bottom of the eighth. With the bases loaded and just one out Tim Wheeler came to the plate and blasted a shot to deep right field that was caught at the warning track.

About the near grand slam Wheeler said, “I wasn’t sure, I’ve had balls like that before. I put a good swing on a pitch and they ran it down. That’s the way it goes, that’s baseball.”

After two victories and a loss in the last three days the downfalls of Sunday’s game were easy to identify.

“We had a lot of opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize on them. We had guys on we just didn’t drop the hits in to get them home. The pitching was very hittable,” Powers said. Wheeler made the same observation, saying, “We need to do a better job being aggressive with runs in scoring position. The first two games we got timely hits, not today.”

As early as the first game of this series the team knew these to be winnable games. Following the first outing they knew the key to victory was staying aggressive, something they failed to on Sunday. Headed into their final game with the Bulldog’s on Monday at Hornet Field they will need to maintain this edge that led them to victory twice before.

Andrew McFadden can be reached at [email protected]