SACRAMENTO – Sacramento State defeated Utah Valley University 5-2 on Saturday afternoon at John Smith Field in Sacramento, California to secure the weekend series. 
 
The Hornets (27-23, 16-13 WAC) used a strong outing from Colin Hunter backed by three early runs, while the Wolverines' (16-34, 9-17 WAC) responded for two runs in the seventh but couldn't complete the comeback.
 
 "Tip your hat to Sacramento State as they continue to show why they have been the class of the league for the past decade. Their starter (Colin Hunter) attacked the zone all day and their offense capitalized on some mistakes," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said. "It was great to see our team get the tying run on deck in the seventh and eighth innings. A lot of teams would have given up in that situation, but we just kept fighting."
 
Sacramento State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Dawsen Bawcho and Martin Vincelli-Simard had back-to-back doubles in the inning as part of a six-hit inning for the Hornets. 
 
Sacramento State starter Hunter allowed just two hits against the Wolverines through the first six innings. Mitch Moralez had a fourth-inning leadoff double down the leftfield line and a single to right field from Brandon Luna in the sixth. Hunter retired the next three hitters in the fourth and sixth innings to hold the Wolverines scoreless. 
 
Utah Valley broke through in the seventh inning on back-to-back singles from Trey Cutchen and Mick Madsen. Following a strikeout, Cole Jordan worked a walk to load the bases. Drew Sims was hit by a pitch to score the first run for the Wolverines, and Luna hit a sharp ground ball that was misplayed at second to advance all runners and make it 5-2 Hornets. 
 
The Wolverines looked to threaten again in the eighth with walks to Cutchen and Spencer Olsen to put two runners on base. Austin Pettey came in from the Hornets' pen and got a strike out and groundout to hold UVU off the board. 
 
Utah Valley had a runner on in the ninth when a pitch hit Luna. Jack Zalasky came in to pitch the ninth for Sac State and helped seal the 5-2 victory for the Hornets. 
 
Hunter (3-4) takes the win for the Hornets, going 6.1 innings with two allowed hits and nine punchouts. Coop Rust (2-7) was tagged with the loss going 5.0 innings allowing nine hits and four runs. Zalasky earned his 10th save of the year for Sac State. 
 
Carson Brown had a strong relief outing for UVU tossing 2.1 innings allowing one hit and walking two hitters. Blake Zeleny went the final two-thirds of an inning with a strikeout for UVU. 
 
Utah Valley will look to salvage the series on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. MT/noon PT. UVU will then cap a nine-game-in-11-day trip on Monday afternoon at Pacific (1:00 p.m. MT/noon PT). The Wolverines will return home for the final homestand of the season against in a big WAC series against New Mexico State beginning on Thursday, May 19 at 6:05.