SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three Sacramento State pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts and the Hornets used early offense to defeat South Dakota State, 4-1, in college baseball action Friday afternoon at John Smith Field.
In winning the first three games of the four-game series, Sac State has improved to 7-4 overall. SDSU remains in search of its first win of the season, falling to 0-7.
Ryan Christiansen put the Hornets on the board with a solo home run two batters into the game, then added a run-scoring double in the second inning that extended their lead to 3-0. Tyler White drove in the first run of the second frame with a base hit to center field.
SDSU starter Sam Schlecht worked a scoreless third inning before running into more trouble in the fourth as J.P. Smith plated what would be the final Hornet run with the third of three consecutive singles for Sac State.
Meanwhile, Hornet right-hander Evan Gibbons worked out of a couple early jams en route to 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter before giving way to Noah Lucchesi, who notched a strikeout for the lone out he recorded, and Kade Brown, the latter of whom fanned six over the final 3 1/3 innings to earn the save.
Brown's first strikeout was the final out of the sixth inning after the Jackrabbits loaded the bases. SDSU stranded nine runners in the contest.
SDSU reliever Reece Arbogast kept Sacramento State at bay, pitching 4 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings. The senior left-hander faced the minimum 13 batters, erasing the only walk he issued with a double play to end the bottom of the seventh.
The Jackrabbits ended the shutout bid with an unearned run in the top of the eighth without the benefit of a hit. Nolan Grawe and Bryce Ronken each drew walks before Keagen Jirschele reached on an error that allowed Grawe to score.
Schlecht struck out two and walked one while allowing four runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings.
Carter Sintek collected two of the Jackrabbits' four hits while Christiansen was 3-for-4 to lead Sac State's nine-hit attack.
UP NEXT
The series finale is slated for a 1 p.m. Pacific Time (3 p.m. Central) first pitch on Saturday.
NOTES
Sacramento State leads the all-time series, 7-2, and has won the last seven meetings
Grawe went 1-for-3 Friday and is 6-for-11 (.545 batting average) in the series
The Jackrabbits' Luke Luskey had his 11-game hitting streak dating back to last season come to an end
Arbogast has allowed only one run in 8 1/3 innings over two appearances so far this season
Schlecht turned in the longest outing of his Jackrabbit career
SDSU played errorless baseball for the second game in a row