Sacramento State showed CSU Bakersfield that it was not the only team that could throw shutout baseball.

Coming into Saturday’s game, the Roadrunners had been shut out only one other time this season, but Hornet pitching prevailed 5-0 at John Smith Field.

Sophomore pitcher Brennan Leitao gave up nine hits and struck out two in seven innings to improve his record to 2-1.

“My two-seam fastball really seemed to be clicking and I threw a lot of ground balls,” Leitao said. “They have a good ball club, but I got lucky pitching out of some jams.”

Leitao pitched out of trouble on three different occasions, including getting Bakersfield’s catcher Cael Brockmeyer to ground into a double play. 

“He threw his slider for strikes and his defense made some great plays behind him,” said Sac State head coach Reggie Christiansen. “He was pissed off he didn’t go back out in the eighth inning and that was the first time all year one of our pitchers was upset that I took him out of the game.”

Christiansen said Leitao was sick before the game with the flu and his performance showed how tough he is . This season, Leitao has improved his ERA from 5.00 to 3.29 and has shown great control, striking out 23 while only walking four. 

The Hornets have also improved as a team, having a 3.57 ERA in their first 22 games.

“I feel like we are more focused this year,” Leitao said. “A lot of guys who came back from last year have a lot of experience and we need to keep it going, taking one pitch at a time.”

The Hornets got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning with a pair of doubles by sophomore first baseman Rhys Hoskins and freshman designated hitter Chris Lewis. 

Hoskins’ double was only his fourth hit in 24 at-bats dating back to March 12 and he was taken out in the top of the sixth inning in what Christiansen called a coaching decision. 

Sac State doubled their lead in the bottom half of the sixth inning when second baseman Andrew Ayers and left fielder Justin Higley scored to increase their lead, 4-0. The Hornets added one more run in the seventh when Bakersfield pitcher James Barragan threw a wild pitch that allowed Ayers to score his second run of the game.

The shutout gives Sac State its first Western Athletic Conference win of the season and junior center fielder David Del Grande said he knows each win is important, especially in conference play.

“This was big,” Del Grande said. “This is the direction we want to be heading and we want to get something going.”

The Hornets will send junior pitcher Tanner Mendonca to the mound Sunday for the final game against Bakersfield.

Mendonca struggled with a shoulder injury earlier this season, but is fully recovered.  He has pitched 18 innings this season and has a 7.00 ERA.

First pitch is at noon.

Ryan can be reached on Twitter at @rskuhn