May 19, 2001
SAN DIEGO - Second-seeded San Diego State will battle top-seeded Brigham Young for the championship of the Mountain West Conference baseball tournament. The Aztecs advanced to the final with a 12-5 win over New Mexico Saturday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium on the campus of San Diego State University.
The Aztec pitching staff turned in another strong performance as starter John Skinner worked into the ninth inning in what was his third appearance of the tournament. He allowed five runs while scattering 11 hits. As a staff, San Diego State entered the contest with a 1.00 team earned-run average in tournament play.
San Diego State (34-25) took control of the game with a five-run third inning. The big blow was a two-run single by outfielder Ben Leuthard, who had the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth in Friday's 5-4 come-from-behind win over Utah. The Aztecs also got a two-run homer from outfielder Sean Pierce in the fifth.
New Mexico starter James Vermilyea, whose primary duties in 2001 have been as a reliever, dropped his first decision of the year (4-1). He worked five innings and allowed nine earned runs.
New Mexico third baseman Aaron Stanley was the hitting star of the game as he went 4-for-5 at the plate.