Sacramento State’s baseball team dropped its first Western Athletic Conference game as the Hornets fell to CSU Bakersfield 4-3 on Saturday afternoon.

Sac State starting pitcher Sam Long pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on four hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Three of these walks came in the bottom of the seventh inning, all of which scored. Tyler Beardsley pitched the remaining 1 1/3 inning and gave up the two big hits that scored the tying and go-ahead runs for Bakersfield.

Sac State gave up a two-run lead to Bakersfield in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn their first loss in the Western Athletic Conference.

Sac State took an early lead in the first inning in game one of the series. Chris Lewis and Trent Goodrich started the game off with back-to-back singles to left field. Matt Smith hit a comebacker to the pitcher and advanced Lewis and Goodrich to second and third. Andrew McWilliam was able to cash in Lewis as he hit a sacrifice fly ball to center field.

Sac State was able to add another run in the bottom of the third inning. Lewis started off the sequence yet again as he singled to left field on a full-count pitch. Goodrich reached safety on an error by Bakersfield’s shortstop and Lewis was able to advance to third.

Bakersfield answered in the next half inning with a run of their own. Dustin Frailey hit a two-out triple to right field and Mahlik Jones followed with a single to left field to bring in their first run of the game.

Sac State added onto its lead in the top of the seventh inning to take a 3-1 lead. Brandon Hunley led the inning off with a single up the middle and stole second base to put a runner in scoring position with nobody out. After two consecutive outs, Lewis hit an RBI single to left field to finish a perfect 3-for-3 on the day.

Bakersfield scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the lead 4-3 against the Hornets. Long walked three batters to load the bases with two outs on the inning. Tyler Beardsley entered the game for Long and gave up a two-RBI single through the right side of the infield to Frailey. The very next batter, Jones, hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Long’s third runner.

The Sac State offense was led by Lewis, who went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. McWilliam went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Hunley went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Dan Deely went 1-for-3 with a double. Goodrich, Smith and Gunner Pollman each added a hit for the Hornets.

Sac State will resume play Sunday, April 10. Game two of the series was postponed in the ninth inning due to rain and will resume at 11 a.m. Sac State held the lead at 6-3 in game two of the series and game three will follow afterwards at noon in Bakersfield, California.