SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, Sacramento State's Kyle Moses drove in the winning run with a single to center field to hand the Hornets a 3-2 win over the Portland Pilots in the series opener played at Hornet Field on Friday afternoon. The game was the first of four between the Pilots (1-5) and Hornets (4-1), who will next play a double header on Saturday.
 
The Pilots had previously tied the score 2-2 with a run in the top of the eighth inning. Brady Kerr led off the frame with a single and was replaced on the base path by pinch runner Grant Taylor. Davis Tominaga then got the job done with a sacrifice bunt that advanced Taylor to second base.
 
Taylor would then come around to score the game-tying run, courtesy a costly error by the Sacramento State second baseman on a ball off the bat of Geoffrey Lee. Lee then stole second, but Sacramento State reliever Justin Dillon fanned Michael Lucarelli and induced an inning-ending ground out by Eric Sapp.
 
Portland reliever Brandon Snyder (0-1) struck out two of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth, but the lefty didn't fare as well in the ninth after the Pilots were retired in order in the top half of the inning. Bronson Grubbs reached with a one-out single, moved over to second on a balk, advanced to third on a single and scored on the Moses' base hit.
 
Dillon (2-0) takes the win after replacing starter Brennan Leito to begin the eighth. Leito allowed one run on seven hits and a walk and he struck out five.
 
Portland starter Jackson Lockwood worked an effective 7.0 innings, yielding two runs on five hits. The junior right-hander K'd three and walked just one.
 
The Hornets got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Devin Lehman gave Sacramento State the early 1-0 lead when he trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Scotty Burcham.
 
The game remained 1-0 until the fourth inning when the Pilots evened the score. Lucarelli led off with a single and headed to second base after a balk. He then advanced to third on a ground out before Kevin Farley picked up an RBI with an infield single.
 
Sacramento State reclaimed a one-run lead when Vinny Esposito hit an RBI double down the left field line in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Every Sacramento State starter had one hit as the Hornets claimed a slim 9-8 advantage in hits. Farley and Lenahan each had two hits for the Pilots, who didn't commit an error for the second straight game.
 
Saturday's double header will begin at 11 a.m.