Saint Joseph’s received a strong start on the mound but could not generate enough offense Thursday night, falling to Sacramento State, 4-1, at John Smith Field.
The Hawks (1-3) were limited to four hits and did not break through until the eighth inning, while the Hornets (1-3) used timely swings and steady relief pitching to secure the series-opening win.
Junior right-hander Duke McCarron turned in an encouraging outing in his first start of the weekend. McCarron struck out six over four innings, allowing just one run on two hits. The lone blemish came in the fourth, when Erick Dessens led off the inning with a solo home run. Sacramento State loaded the bases later in the frame, but McCarron worked out of trouble to keep the deficit at 1-0.
The Hornets added to their lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Luis Pimentel-Guerrero. They stretched the margin in the seventh when Dessens delivered an RBI single and a wild pitch brought home another run, pushing the score to 4-0.
Saint Joseph’s showed life in the eighth.
Joey Gale sparked the rally with a two-out single, and Alex Kelsey followed with a run-scoring double to put the Hawks on the board. Jason Janesko then drew a four-pitch walk to bring the tying run to the plate, but Sacramento State recorded the final four outs to preserve the win.
Kelsey led the Hawks offensively, finishing 2 for 4 with a double and the team’s lone RBI. Gale and Joey Pagano each added a hit, while Janesko reached base twice via walks. Carson Applegate also reached twice, drawing a walk and being hit by a pitch.
After McCarron’s four innings, left-hander Matt Fitzgibbon allowed three runs over 2 2/3 innings in relief, striking out four. Justin Sweeney closed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Sacramento State starter Chase Sorlie allowed two hits over three innings, and reliever Ian Winterhalder earned the win with four shutout frames.
The Hawks will look to even the series Friday night as they continue their four-game set in California.
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