The Seattle University baseball team battled back twice, but Sacramento State pulled away with a 9-6 victory over the Redhawks Friday afternoon at John Smith Field.
Sacramento State (2-3) jumped on the board in the first inning as Justin Higley sent a single up the middle and scored on a double by Derrick Chung. The Hornets added another run in the second inning when Will Soto led off with a single, advanced to third on a single by Scotty Burcham, and scored on a fielder's choice hit by David Del Grande.
Seattle University pulled even in the top of the third inning, as Marcelino Morales (Pasco, Wash.) led off with a single, followed by four-pitch walks drawn by Cullen Hendrickson (Auburn, Wash.) and Nate Roberts (Silverdale, Wash.) to load the bases. Doug Kincaid (Portland, Ore.) was able to work a walk to force in Morales, and Bryndon Ecklund (Elma, Wash.) was able to bring home Hendrickson with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Hornets struck back in the bottom of the third, as Kyle Moses led off with a single and Higley followed with a grounder to Roberts that could not be handled. Chung's fly ball into right field was lost in the sun, allowing Moses to score on the double, and Higley scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Clay Cederquist. Chung scored on a single by Trevor Payne, chasing Redhawk starter Seafth Howe (Seattle, Wash.) from the game.
The Redhawks chipped away at the lead, first scoring one run in the fourth inning when Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Morales, and scored on a single by Trent Oleszczuk (Beaverton, Ore.). In the fifth inning, Ecklund and Jace Sloan (Puyallup, Wash.) collected back-to-back singles and scored on a double by Olson that brought about another tied at 5-5.
In the bottom of the sixth, Payne led off with a single and scored on a double by Andrew Ayers to put the Hornets back on top, 6-5. Eric Yardley (Richland, Wash.) came on in relief of Grant Gunning (Snohomish, Wash.) and induced an inning-ending double play to keep the margin at one run.
Sacramento State put the game away in the seventh inning, as Moses walked, Higley singled, and Chung sent a single into left field that drove in Moses. Kyle Doyle (Covington, Wash.) replaced Yardley and picked up two outs, but Soto was able to send the ball into right field for a two-run double that extended the Hornets' lead to 9-5.
Morales cut the Redhawk deficit by one with a solo home run to right field to lead off the eighth inning, but Brennan Leitao struck out the side to prevent any further damage. R.J. Davis came on in the ninth inning and allowed only a single to Zach Aaker (Ravensdale, Wash.) to earn his first save of the season.
Oleszczuk led the Redhawks offensively by going 3-for-5 with a run batted in, while Morales went 2-for-4 and Olson picked up two hits in five at-bats during the game. Gunning suffered the loss despite giving up just three hits, one walk, and one run in three innings of work in relief of Howe, who gave up seven hits and five runs, four of them earned, in 2 1/3 innings on the mound.
Dallas Chadwick earned the win for Sacramento State, allowing just one hit and one walk in two innings of work while picking up one strikeout. Chung went 3-for-4 to lead the Hornets at the plate, while four other Sacramento State players collected two hits apiece.
Seattle University (3-2) and Sacramento State will continue the three-game series Saturday, Feb. 25, at 1 p.m., with the final game taking place Sunday, Feb. 26, at 11:30 a.m., a change from the original start time due to Seattle U's travel situation. Dan Giuliani will broadcast both games on GoSeattleU.com, beginning with the pregame show about 20 minutes before the first pitch.