HORNETS POWER PAST SDSU, 14-5

Thursday, February 27

Sacramento, Calif.

2 p.m. PT/4 p.m. CT

South Dakota State University

Sacramento State

Photo by: SDSU Athletics

2/27/2025 8:14:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State scored multiple runs in each of the three middle innings and went on to defeat South Dakota State, 14-5, in nonconference college baseball action Thursday afternoon.

The Hornets improved to 6-4 overall, while SDSU dropped to 0-6 on the season.

SDSU led through each of its first two trips to plate, scoring twice in the top of the first inning as each of the Jackrabbits' first four batters reached base. Nicholas Werk led off with a base hit and Nolan Grawe worked a 10-pitch walk before Luke Luskey and Carter Sintek came through with run-scoring singles that led to an early exit for Hornet starter Sean Carey.

Sac State answered quickly with a pair of runs in the home half of the inning after Tyler White and Ryan Christiansen opened the frame with back-to-back doubles.

Three Jackrabbit freshmen contributed to give SDSU the lead back in the top of the second. Owen Siegert started the inning with a double, moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Werk and scored on a base hit by Grawe, who ended the game 3-for-4.

Jackrabbit starter Ty Madison posted consecutive 1-2-3 frames over the second and third innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth, when Sacramento State used the long ball to take a 5-3 lead. J.P. Smith started the rally with a leadoff home run the left-field line and Jakob Poturnak followed two batters later with a two-run homer to left center.

The Hornets began to distance themselves with a five-run fifth inning. White singled home the first run of the inning to chase Madison form the game, while Elie Kligman and Michael Perazzo added two-run singles off reliever Drew McDowell.

Sac State tacked on three more runs in the sixth, the second of which scored on a bases-loaded walk to Perazzo.

SDSU trimmed the deficit with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh as Colin Gibson doubled in Bryce Ronken and Siegert plated Keagen Jirschele with a single. Jirschele also was 3-for-4 for the Jackrabbits as they out-hit the Hornets, 15-14, but stranded 13 runners in the game.

Poturnak closed out the scoring with his second home run of the game — and fifth of the young season — to lead off the bottom of the eighth. He was 3-for-4 with 10 total bases after notching a double in the sixth inning.

Bryce Stockton, who pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief was credited with the win. He was one of seven pitchers on the day for the Hornets.

Madison was charged with seven runs on six hits over four-plus innings. He struck out five and walked one. Owen Bishop pitched the final three innings for the Jackrabbits.

UP NEXT
Game 3 of the series is set for a 2 p.m. Pacific Time (4 p.m. Central) first pitch on Friday.

NOTES

Sacramento State leads the all-time series, 6-2, and has won the last six meetings
The Jackrabbits' 15 hits were a season high, surpassing their 10-hit total from Feb. 23 series finale at Pacific
Of SDSU's 15 hits, nine were by freshmen (3 each by Grawe and Jirschele, 2 by Siegert and 1 by Werk)
Luskey has hit safely in all six games this season after going 2-for-5
Luskey extended his overall hitting streak to 11 games dating back to the 2024 campaign
Ronken doubled in consecutive at-bats in the seventh and eighth innings

-GoJacks.com-