The Fresno State baseball team’s Achilles’ heel — pitching — was a disadvantage Wednesday night when the Bulldogs lost 6-4 to the Sacramento State Hornets at Pete Beiden Field in Fresno.
Right-hander Blake Quinn, who both started and finished the game with a 10.80 ERA, allowed six earned runs in five innings pitched and struck out four in the loss.
“Blake’s a tough kid; he’s a local kid,” said Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole. “He’s had a lot of success. Don’t forget, he’s still young — he’s just two weeks into his sophomore season. These things are going to happen. The tough guys work their way through it, and I’m sure he will.
Sacramento State scored in the third inning when a double by right fielder Nathan Lukes scored second baseman Scott Loper. Two batters later, first baseman Rhys Hoskins scored Lukes on a single that zipped past third base, and Will Soto batted in a run for the Hornets’ third score of the inning.
Down 4-0 in the fourth, the Bulldogs saw a silver lining when Jordan Luplow drilled his first home run of the season to center field. Afterward, a Hornet throwing error placed Trent Woodward on base. Then, he scored on a single by Taylor Ward.
But in the ensuing inning, the Hornets increased their lead. With two outs in the frame, catcher Dane Fujinaka knocked a single to left that scored two runs. Quinn stayed in the game and retired Loper to end the frame.
Despite a 2-run home run to left-center field by Ward in the sixth inning, the Hornets were able to hold on to their lead and win the game.
Tonight, the Bulldogs will host a new-look Nevada Wolf Pack in the first game of a 3-game conference set. First-year head coach Jay Johnson, who is replacing longtime coach Gary Powers, leads the Wolf Pack.
“It’s the first time [Powers] hasn’t been at the helm, so it’s going to be interesting,” Batesole said. “We had to take all of our scouting reports and trash them. We had some pretty good stuff, we thought.”
Jordan Brink, the 6-foot-1 right-hander will get the start for Fresno State. Last season, he earned 42 starts as a position player and made 17 starts as a pitcher. In 2012, his freshman year, he was a full-time position player. This season, he is pitching full time.
“It’s a completely different turn for him,” Batesole said, “but he still gets his bullpen and long catches in between. But he’s going out there with a clearer head and focus more on just pitching.”