Feb. 29, 2000
SAN DIEGO - Junior outfielder Billy Montgomery drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to cap a San Diego State comeback as the Aztecs defeated the 19th-ranked UCLA Bruins, 9-8, at Tony Gwynn Stadium on Tuesday evening. The victory upped SDSU's season mark to 11-8 while the Bruins fell to 7-8.
Montgomery's winning hit, an infield single that scored Andy Litteral from third base with two outs, was made possible only because SDSU had rallied from an 8-5 deficit with three runs in the ninth inning to send the game into extra frames.
Freshman righthander Mark McFadyen's inaugural start on the mound as an Aztec was a tough one as he allowed UCLA five runs in the first two innings, with two of those runs coming on Chase Utley's seventh home run of the season. Utley went 3-for-5 in the game with a pair of RBI and three runs scored.
San Diego State rallied to tie the game at 5-5, getting three in the third and a pair in the fourth. The big blow in each inning was a two-run single, first by Chad Chop in the third and then Rory Shortell in the fourth.
John Skinner threw 6.1 innings of solid relief for the Aztecs, striking out eight along the way. However, he was victimized by a fielding error in the fifth inning that allowed the Bruins to take a 6-5 lead. UCLA added two more in the eighth inning before the Aztecs began their second comeback of the night, this time in their final at bat.
With Bruin closer Chad Cislak on the mound, Literal reached on a error by shortstop Warren Trott to lead off the ninth. After Montgomery walked, pinch hitter Matt Ricardy followed with an RBI single to center. Tyler Echelbarger walked to load the bases, and Chop hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Montgomery from third. A sacrifice fly by Sean Pierce brought in Ricardy with the tying run.
The winning run in the 10th came after Litteral singled with two outs. He promptly stole second and advanced to third when the throw went into center field. Montgomery then hit a slow roller to the right of third base that he legged out for a single with Litteral scoring the winning run.
Freshman Rory Shortell, who began the game at third base and went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, pitched the final two innings. He retired all six men he faced, striking out four to pick up his second win of the season. Cislak's record fell to 0-3.
Up next for the Aztecs is a three-game series at Texas Tech this weekend (March 3-5) before returning home to face Loyola Marymount next Tuesday, March 7, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium
San Diego State 9, UCLA 8 (10 inn)UCLA 320 010 020 0 - 8 10 5SDSU 003 200 003 1 - 9 12 3Roe, Arrasmith (6), Cislak (9) and JohnsonMcFadyen, Skinner (2), Ring (8), Shortell (9) and Rogers, Minter (10)W - Shortell (2-0)L - Cislak (0-3)SV - NoneHR: UCLA - Utley (7)Att - 485