Feb. 25, 2001
SAN DIEGO - A grounder off the bat of pinch-hitter Daryl Harang scored Carlo Cota with two out in the bottom of the ninth to give the San Diego State baseball team (8-5 overall) a 5-4 win over Gonzaga on Sunday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
With rain falling all game, the umpires ruled that the game would not go into extra innings. However, the score was tied at four in the bottom of the ninth and appeared destined to finish in a tie after the first two Aztec batters were retired. Cota then came up and smashed a triple off the left-center field wall. Harang was then called upon to pinch hit, and he responded by hitting a ground ball to Gonzaga second baseman Eric Rodland. The ball found its way through Rodland's legs and into the outfield to give SDSU the victory. Rodland's error sent the Bulldogs home with no wins in this weekend's series.
SDSU third baseman Pilar Amaya hit his first home run of the year, blasting a solo shot well over the left field fence off Gonzaga reliever Kyle Nearhood, while Cota went 3-for-5. Reliever Royce Ring threw 1/3 of an inning to pick up the win and improve his record to 4-0 on the year in only 5 2/3 innings of work.
Ring combined with John Skinner, Mike Garber and Jon Minter to limit the Bulldogs to only two hits and one run in 3 2/3 innings of relief work. Aztec starter Rory Shortell turned in his second consecutive solid start, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing five hits and three runs.
SDSU centerfielder Anthony Gwynn had his nine-game hitting streak snapped in the contest, going 0-for-4.
The win marked the fourth time this season and the second time this weekend that the final batter of the game gave the Aztecs a victory. SDSU has now won four consecutive games and is 6-2 in games decided by two runs or less. The Aztecs improved to 7-3 at Tony Gwynn Stadium and 4-0 in games played on Sunday.
SDSU returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts 13th-ranked Pepperdine at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.