Feb. 26, 2002
Los Angeles, - Loyola Marymount broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the seventh and added two more in the eighth to secure a 6-3 victory over San Diego State Tuesday afternoon at George Page Field in Los Angeles. The loss ended the Aztecs' short two-game win streak as they head home for four games over the next five days. With the win, the Lions improved to 5-8 on the year.
SDSU collected 13 hits in the day, but stranded nine runners over the course of the game including three at third base. Carlo Cota led the Aztec attack with three hits while Jake McLintock, Josh Hill and Jon Stephens added two apiece. For Cota, it was the ninth time in 16 contests this season that he has collected more than one base hit.
Mike Moat, coming off a one-hit performance over eight innings against UC San Diego last Wednesday, struggled with the high mound at the LMU diamond, but kept San Diego State in the game over his five innings of work. He left with the score tied 3-3 and was not involved in the decision.
After the Lions opened the scoring in the third on a two-RBI double by left fielder Kris Zacuto, SDSU answered back with a run in the fourth. Hill's two-out RBI single scored Cota who had singled and stolen second to lead off the inning.
After LMU added a run in the fifth, the Aztecs tied the game in their next at bat with two of their own. McLintock started the rally with a leadoff double and came home on a two-out single by Stephens. Josh Allen then hit a triple to right center field to knot the score.
Senior Erik Fiedler came on in relief of Moat in the bottom of the sixth and retired the side in order, but ran into trouble in the following inning. A leadoff single by catcher Joseph Hendricks and a double by second baseman Joe Silva set the stage for an RBI fielder's choice by Billy Lockin to give LMU the lead. The Lions added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth and SDSU was unable to answer back.
Reliever Kyle Huddy (1-0) earned his first win of the season, pitching the final three innings. Fiedler suffered his first loss and saw his record fall to 0-1.
San Diego State now returns home to face Point Loma Nazaarene Wednesday evening (Feb. 27) at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Game time is 6:00 p.m. and the contest may be heard live on the Internet at www.goazatedcs.com with the pre-game show beginning at approximately 5:50 p.m.
The match-up with the Crusaders will pit two ABCA Hall of Fame coaches against each other as former Pt. Loma Nazarene coach and current athletic director Carroll Land will be on the bench to manage against SDSU's Jim Dietz.
Following Wednesday's game, San Diego State will host Southern Utah in a three-game series beginning Friday (Mar. 1) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Loyola Marymount 6, San Diego State 3SDS 000 102 000 - 3 13 1LMU 002 010 12x - 6 10 0Cordova, Huddy (7) and HendricksMoat, Fiedler (6), Harang (8), Ring (8) and AllenW - Huddy (1-0)L - Fiedler (0-1)Sv - NoneHR - NoneAtt. - 203Time - 2:46