Feb. 4, 2000
Yuma, Ariz. - The San Diego State baseball team improved to 4-2 after claiming an exciting 3-2 win over 23rd-ranked Oklahoma State on Friday in Yuma, Ariz.
The Aztecs managed to pull out the win despite giving up two first-inning runs. As is often the case, a pair of walks and two errors resulted in two Cowboy runs. With one out in the first, Aztec right-hander Ben Julianel walked OSU second baseman Anthony Purkiss. Julianel then got Cowboy shortstop Curt Anthony to fly out to left, but after walking left fielder Roy York, things started to get exciting.
With runners on first and second and nobody out, OSU right fielder Jimbo McAuliff singled to right. With Purkiss stopping at third, Aztec right fielder Ben Leuthard booted the ball, allowing Purkiss to try to score. After Leuthard got the ball in to second baseman Matt Ricardy, Ricardy's attempt to gun down Purkiss at the plate sailed over catcher Brandon Rogers' head, allowing both Purkiss and York to score and McAuliff to take third.
Julianel recovered to get designated hitter Carlos Gautreaux to ground out to end the inning, then went on to yield only three more hits over the next five innings.
Cowboy left hander and preseason All-American Matt Smith stifled the SDSU bats for 4 2/3 innings, but he lost control when Aztec shortstop Edgar Gonzalez hit his first home run of the year over the right field fence. Ricardy then stepped up and singled on and 0-2 pitch, then came around to tie the game when left fielder Paul Lockhart doubled over McAuliff's head. Lockhart went on to score the game-winning run when third baseman Rory Shortell's bloop single dropped between three Cowboys in short left-center field. Smith would eventually get out of the inning, but the damage was done and the Aztecs would not look back.
However, SDSU did get a scare in the ninth. After tossing 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball, reliever Chris Dunwell allowed back-to-back singles to Toby Rhodes and Luke Scott with two out in the ninth. With runners on the corners, SDSU head coach Jim Dietz elected to replace Dunwell with Shortell. Shortell came on and promptly fell behind Purkiss 3-and-0. However, Shortell bounced back to strike Purkiss out and pick up his first save of the year.
The Aztecs and Cowboys will meet again tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Desert Sun Stadium.
Final R H E
#23 Oklahoma State 2 7 1
San Diego State 3 8 3
Win- Julianel (2-0) Loss- M. Smith (0-1) Save- Shortell (1)
HR- Gonzalez (1) 3B- Purkiss 2B- Leuthard, Lockhart SB- Shortell