SACRAMENTO – A late offensive surge by Sacramento State in the second game Saturday and a superb pitching performance in the first game allowed the Hornets to pull off the sweep, defeating UCSB’s baseball team 3-0 and 10-9 at Hornet Field.
The Gauchos had a three-game winning streak snapped and lost their final non-conference weekend series before Big West Conference play begins next weekend.
UCSB falls to 12-10 overall while Sac State improves to 10-15-1.
After getting just one hit in the first game, UCSB opened the second game by scoring five runs in the first two innings. However, the Hornets scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning off of Jesse Meaux.
The crux of UCSB’s offense was Beck Wheeler’s three-run home run in the second inning, the second straight game the Gaucho designated hitter went deep.
In the third inning Ryan Palermo’s two-run double gave the Gauchos a 7-4 lead.
Sac State scratched out a run in the bottom of the third before exploding for four more runs in the sixth inning off Meaux.
Justin Lamb’s single scored the Hornets’ first run of the frame and after a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, Josh Powers’ two-run single gave Sac State an 8-7 lead.
The Hornets tacked on their fourth run on a sac fly.
UCSB rallied for two runs in the seventh inning to tie the game when Ryan Tregoning hit a two-out, pinch-hit double down the left field line.
But Blake Miller hit a run-scoring single with two outs off Nick Loredo (0-2) to give Sac State a lead it would never relinquish.
In the ninth Matt Valaika singled but was wiped out on a double play before Bryce Tafelski doubled and Palermo reached on an error to give UCSB a chance with runners on the corners.
