Hornets’ second baseman Brandon Hunley is starting to fit into the shoes he was given at the start of the season.

As a freshman that just recently started Sacramento State this spring after graduating early from Christian Brothers High School, Hunley has taken over 

Although Ayers graduated last spring, he finished fourth in the program’s history with 123 career RBIs and third with 46 career doubles.

But Hunley started to build his own legacy when he hit a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning home run against the University of Nevada Tuesday under the lights of Raley Field.

The Hornets won, 7-4.

“(Brandon) is a local guy who wanted to stay close to home,” said head coach Reggie Christiansen. “He is an outstanding player.”

Sac State started out with an early 2-0 lead in the third inning when senior third baseman Will Soto hit a double into right center field to score Hunley and senior outfielder David Del Grande.

The Wolf Pack scored three times in the fifth and sixth innings to take the lead. It was the most runs freshman pitcher Sam Long has given up this season.

After allowing three earned runs off of seven hits and walking a batter, Long said he was starting to feel some fatigue.

“Early on I kept my pitches low and they couldn’t really do anything with it, but later in the game it felt like my pitches were getting left up a little bit,” Long said. “It’s early in the season and my arm is not as in shape yet.”

The lead changed hands again in the seventh and eighth innings when Hornets’ Kyle Moses scored on a Del Grande triple. 

On the next batter, the Wolf Pack walked sophomore outfielder Nathan Lukes because they preferred the matchup against Hunley.

“I knew he was going to walk Nate because he was having a great night and when he did I wanted to prove him wrong and show them they made a mistake,” Hunley said. 

On the third pitch he saw, he launched a home run over the left field wall.

Sac State returns to John Smith Field on Friday to face the University of San Francisco, weather permitting and Christiansen said junior first baseman Rhys Hoskins will be in the lineup.

He sat out the last three games because of a sprained ankle he suffered against Texas A&M last weekend.

Ryan can be reached on Twitter at @rskuhn