HED: Toe-to-Toe with the Bruins: Sac State holds their very own in opposition to No. 1 UCLA
DEK: Sac State baseball will get first ever win over a No. 1 ranked group in program historical past
WEB: Sacramento State baseball proved they’ll cling with one of the best groups within the nation for the second time this season, beating No. 1 ranked UCLA of their remaining recreation of their street collection.
TWT: .@sacstbaseball goes toe-to-toe in opposition to @uclabaseball, beating a No. 1 ranked group within the nation for the primary time in program historical past
URL: sac-state-christiansen-baseball-ucla-poturnak-harry-dessens-hornets-bruins-lay-wilson
Author: Tamer Bohatch
LEAD:
Sacramento State baseball took a visit right down to Los Angeles, California to face the No. 1 ranked group within the nation, UCLA.
The Hornets fought with every thing they’d, however fell heartbreakingly brief in a number of video games, nonetheless notching their second historic upset of the season.
April 24: UCLA 6, Sac State 5
Jackie Robinson Stadium’s lights shined vivid within the backside of the ninth inning, when senior pitcher Elijah Rogalski appeared to seize the ultimate out of the night time for the Hornets.
Freshman pitcher Trevor Wilson began the inning because the Hornets led 5-4, however he allowed a single up the center of the infield. After getting two outs on floor balls that superior the runner every time, and a runner on third,head coach Reggie Christiansen went to Rogalski.
“I felt like everybody in the ballpark walked out of there thinking Sac State outplayed the number one team in the country,” Christiansen stated. “I think their coaches felt like we outplayed them. Their players felt like we outplayed them. I just told our guys after the game how proud of them I was.”
Rogalski walked the presumptive No. 1 overall draft pick in the upcoming draft, junior Bruin shortstop Roch Cholowsky to start out his night time. He then walked the following batter to load the bases.
As the at-bat was labored into an 0-2 depend, Rogalski kicked his leg and threw a pitch inside to junior Bruin third baseman Roman Martin. Martin tucked his arms and hit a slicing dribble over to senior first baseman Luis Pimentel-Guerrero.
Pimentel-Guerrero dove to the wild ball, just for it to fall simply by way of his outstretched arms because the tying run got here residence earlier than the sport really obtained out of hand.
Junior second baseman Cameron Sewell grabbed the free ball and checked out Cholowsky at third. Cholowsky took a step, baiting Sewell to make a play. Sewell threw the ball again to residence plate, just for it to go broad to the backstop, bringing residence Cholowsky and ending the sport in heartbreak for the Hornets.
“I just feel like I’m letting these guys down,” Christiansen stated. “I’ve got to do a better job of putting them in a position to close out some of these games. I mean, these guys are playing their ass off, and I just feel terrible for them right now.”
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The Hornets had jumped out to an early lead off of the again of a double from redshirt junior third baseman Jakob Poturnak, who superior on a bunt from senior shortstop Jace Jeremiah after which was despatched residence by a sacrifice fly from Sewell within the prime of the second inning.
UCLA answered proper again within the backside of the second with three runs of their very own from a double, two singles and a sacrifice fly off of Sac State’s ace, senior pitcher Ethan Lay.
These three runs can be the one injury placed on the scorecard in opposition to Lay, as he went onto dominate the remainder of the sport, permitting simply three extra hits by way of his remaining 4 innings of labor.
“Against a team like that, it’s harder than just staying down in the zone,” Lay stated. “We did a great job using every part of the zone to keep them off balance along with showing all of my pitches despite the count being in our favor or not.”
As Lay settled into the sport, Sac State’s slugger, junior proper fielder Erick Dessens, continued to make a reputation for himself, hitting a solo residence run over the fence in proper discipline within the prime of the fourth and sending a double into proper heart discipline to attain two extra runs and provides Sac State a lead of 4-3 within the prime of the fifth.
“He [Dessens] has an edge about him. He’s a quiet kid. He’s a humble kid. He’s got a tremendous sense of belief of who he is as a player,” Christiansen stated. “It’s fun to watch. He’s going to get drafted. Tonight, he’s probably made himself some money, getting a chance to do it against this team and this ballpark, Ethan and him both.”
RELATED: Moo-ove over, the Hornets are here: Sac State takes over UC Davis
The Hornets’ remaining run of the night got here from redshirt sophomore catcher Nikihil Beasley’s single by way of the left facet of the infield, bringing in Sewell from third.
Sac State completed the night time with eight hits, whereas holding Cholowsky to 0-4.
“We talked about this all year, it’s Ethan Lay,” Christiansen stated. “He just showed why he’s on that list of the national pitcher of the year. I mean, to come in and do what he did, especially giving up the runs early, but then he settled in and was great.”
The remaining run earlier than the hectic ninth inning got here within the backside of the eighth when junior Bruin first baseman Mulivai Levu hit a solo residence run to the suitable discipline line off of fifth-year pitcher Andrew Monson.
“There’s so many things you can look at,” Christiansen stated. “I think you do look at those things when you, when you continue to lose games like this and I don’t know. I’m just going to do a better job of trying to figure it out.”
April 25: UCLA 5, Sac State 3
Sac State jumped out to an early lead within the second recreation of the collection and battled again to tie it, simply to fall in need of the comeback.
In the highest of the primary inning, freshman outfielder Sam Harry flew out to heart discipline however was backed up when Pimentel-Guerrero walked in a full depend. Dessens grounded out to second base, however superior Pimentel-Guerrero 90 toes.
Poturnak stepped to the plate, and squared up on a pitch that was up and away, taking pictures a ball over the wall in left discipline to present the Hornets an early 2-0 lead.
“He [UCLA pitcher, senior Michael Barnett] left a changeup up in the zone,” Poturnak stated. “I stuck to my approach, saw the ball up and was able to put a good swing on it.”
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Protecting this lead was junior pitcher Kurt Marton’s job. He held the Bruins to a few hits over his 4 innings of labor whereas putting out 4 batters.
“I felt good out there,” Marton stated. “I felt like I could trust my defense and that allowed me to just pitch worry free.”
The solely run Marton was charged with got here within the backside of the third, as Cholowsky led off the inning with a solo residence run over the fence to left heart discipline, chopping the Hornet result in one.
Marton’s pitch depend rapidly rose to 70 and he was changed by junior pitcher Sean Carey within the backside of the fifth. Carey’s night time began off easily, as he obtained two fast outs on a floor ball and a fly ball to heart discipline earlier than Levu smashed a solo shot over the middle discipline wall to tie the sport 2-2.
Carey went again onto the mound within the backside of the sixth and gave up one other residence run to the primary man he confronted to make it 3-2, earlier than strolling the following. A fielder’s selection ended Carey’s night time as he pitched only one inning, permitting two earned runs on two hits as senior pitcher Colin Hunter changed him within the jam.
Hunter got here in and struck out the primary batter he confronted earlier than hitting the following, however finally secured the final two outs of the inning whereas including no extra injury to the rating. He continued to carry out, getting a 1-2-3 inning within the backside of the seventh after the Hornets tied issues up within the prime of the seventh with a sacrifice fly to left discipline.
With the sport now in a 3-3 impasse, the Bruins put the ultimate dagger within the night time for the Hornets within the backside of the eighth, taking a 4-3 lead with a double and a wild pitch.
A stroll ended Hunter’s 2.1 inning night time when sophomore pitcher Chase Sorlie took over.
Sorlie fared no higher than Hunter, permitting a RBI single to the primary man he confronted earlier than getting an out from a fly ball. Sorlie was then changed by senior pitcher Ian Winterhalder to get the final out of the night time.
Down 5-3, Sac State went down 1-2-3 to cap off the night time.
“If that’s the number one team in the country, I feel good about the rest of our season,” Christiansen stated. ”We went toe-to-toe with them two days in a row.”
April 26: Sac State 9, UCLA 6
The third and remaining recreation for the Hornets noticed them put an entire recreation collectively on their technique to the packages’ first ever win over a No. 1 ranked group.
UCLA scored first in opposition to sophomore pitcher Carson Timothy, from a leadoff stroll that was introduced residence by a single to proper heart discipline to make it 1-0.
Sac State answered proper again within the prime of the third, when Sewell and Beasley walked to open the inning. A bunt from redshirt sophomore outfielder Brett Ott superior the runners 90 toes and Sewell was introduced residence by a groundout from Harry.
Back-to-back doubles from senior designated hitter Ryan Ellis and Dessens scored two extra runs to make the sport 3-1.
With Dessens now on second base, Poturnak stepped to the plate, hitting a towering residence run over the fence in left heart discipline bringing the rating to 5-1.
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The Bruins got here charging again, making the rating 5-3 off a leadoff triple within the fourth and a solo residence run within the fifth from Cholowsky.
Sac State answered but once more with three extra runs over the following two innings off a mixture of errors, doubles and a single to carry the rating to 9-3.
Timothy’s night time ended after the fifth inning, he gave up three earned runs on six hits whereas putting out 5 totally different Bruins on his technique to a second win in opposition to a top two opponent.
“We are a talented pitching staff and a talented team,” Carson stated. “You combine that with guys who want to be in the big moment good things can happen and that’s what we have showed ”
Monson took over for Carson within the sixth, getting a 1-2-3 inning earlier than operating into hassle within the seventh. Cholowsky hit his second residence run of the night over the middle discipline wall to make it 9-6 after back-to-back singles put runners on first and second.
Wilson got here in to alleviate Monson once more, giving up only one hit in every of his remaining three innings earlier than putting out the final batter of the night time.
This weekend wraps up a historic interval in time for the Hornets as a collective. Just per week earlier than the primary pitch on Friday, Sac State baseball received their 1,000th recreation in program historical past with a win over UT Arlington and this week they capped this feat off with their first ever win over a No. 1 ranked group in program historical past.
“It’s a great win for the school, alumni and just everyone involved,” Timothy stated. “It was awesome to get it done for Coach Christiansen ”
Sac State seems to proceed this upward development on the street at 6 p.m. in opposition to Nevada on Tuesday.
LEAD:
(Sophomore left fielder Brett Ott walks again to the dug out after an at-bat in opposition to Fresno State Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Sacramento State went on to lose the competition by a rating 2-1. Photo Credit: Susana Grijalva)
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