BASEBALL FALLS IN FINALE AT SEATTLE U

Athletics News

Apr 23, 2017

BELLEVUE, Wash. – Seattle U's Sean Sutton hit a walk off 3-run home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth as the Redhawks took the finale of a three-game WAC series with Sacramento State by a 7-4 score on Sunday.

Sacramento State (20-20, 6-9 WAC) won the series after a 3-2 victory on Friday and a 9-0 shutout on Saturday. The Hornets had a 4-0 lead on Sunday but Seattle U (13-24-1, 5-10 WAC) tied the game with four runs in the fourth inning and won it in the bottom of the ninth.

Tanner Olson recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the ninth but Michael Ciancio drew a walk before a Curtis Perrin single moved the winning run to third. The all-WAC first baseman a year ago, Sutton hit a 1-2 pitch over the wall in right to win the game for the Redhawks.

Sutton was the hero in the ninth but it was five shutout innings of relief from Tyler Oldenberg that enabled to Redhawks to rally for the win. Oldenberg allowed just two hits and one walk with five strikeouts after replacing starter Conner Moore in the fifth inning.

Sacramento State knocked out Moore early as the visitors got the scoring started in the first inning as James Outman and Vinny Esposito had consecutive doubles with one away to score a quick run.

In the second, the Hornets loaded the bases with one out on singles from Dawsen Bacho and Trent Goodrich and a Ricky Martinez walk. Ian Dawkins drove in Bacho with a groundout and Goodrich would score on a wild pitch. Esposito made it a 4-0 Hornet lead driving in Martinez with a single in the fourth.

Seattle U came back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, scoring all four with two away. With runners on second and third and two out Jeffrey Morgan drove in two with a single to left. Seattle U followed with single and walk to load the bases and Austin Lively tied the game with a double to right center, but the inning ended as the Hornets cut down Griffin Andreychuk at the plate.

The Hornets threatened but left two men on in the fifth and had two baserunners in the sixth inning. Relievers Ty Fox and Alex Dentoni combined for four scoreless innings out of the Hornet bullpen while allowing just four hits. Oldenberg pitched around an error in the seventh inning and set the Hornets down in order in the eighth and ninth.

Seattle U left 10 men on base in the game while the Hornets stranded nine. Esposito and Goodrich each had two hits for Sacramento State with Goodrich adding a stolen base. The Redhawks had 11 hits with four players recording two-hit games.

Sacramento State had six players hit better than .300 in the series with Dawkins hitting .400. The Hornets outscored the Redhawks 16-9 with a 2.60 team ERA.

The Hornets will be in Stockton Tuesday to face Pacific at 6 p.m.

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