SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento State scored five runs in the sixth inning while starter Scott Randall allowed one run through six frames to beat Santa Clara baseball 6-3 on Saturday afternoon at John Smith Field.  

 

The game was a pitcher's duel between Randall and Bronco hurler Freddie Erlandson with neither pitcher allowing a run in the first five innings.  

 

Santa Clara (8-4) broke through in the top of the sixth when Ryan McCarthy singled to start the inning and moved to third on Matt Jew's double before coming home on a sacrifice fly by Mike Bowes.  

 

Erlandson allowed three hits and did not issue a walk over five innings of work before being replaced by Brandon Buckley in the sixth with the Broncos ahead 1-0.  Facing the top of the lineup, Buckley allowed the first three Hornets to reach base on a pair of walks and a hit before uncorking two wild pitches that scored Keith Torres and Jorge Bojorquez for the tying and go-ahead runs.  

 

Sacramento State (6-4) sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning including RBIs on a single by Dylan McPhillips and Trevor Doyle sacrifice fly to put five runs on the board to take a 5-1 lead.  

 

The Broncos managed to cut the four run lead in half on Jake MacNichols' two-run home run in the seventh against reliever Travis Martizia but the Hornets added an insurance run in the eighth on Doyle's RBI single.  

 

Stone Churby pitched a scoreless final two innings to earn the save for the winning pitcher Randall (2-0).  Buckley (0-1) was the losing pitcher on record.  

 

Coleman Brigman, McCarthy and Jew each had two hits as did Doyle, Bojorquez and Matt Smith for the Hornets.

   

-Jake MacNichols' sixth home run of the season and 36th in his career moved him into sole position of second place on the Broncos career home run list.  He was tied along with Troy Buckley and is now two home runs away from tying Kevin Dunton's school record of 38.   

 

The series finale between the Broncos and the Hornets will be on Sunday.  First pitch at 1 p.m. from John Smith Field.    

 

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