March 30, 2002
Salt Lake City - After stranding 12 runners in the series opener on Friday, San Diego State unleashed a 20-hit attack and defeated Utah, 16-1, Saturday afternoon at Franklin Covey Field in Salt Lake City. The Aztecs improved their season record to 22-10 overall and 5-2 in Mountain West Conference play. Utah meanwhile fell to 17-13 on the year and 3-5 in league.
Despite the impressive offensive numbers on the day for SDSU, Aztec junior pitcher Rory Shortell was perhaps the star of the contest. The right-hander from Portland, Ore., tossed a complete nine-inning game, allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out five. He did not allow more than one base runner in an inning until the eighth as he improved his team-leading record to 5-2.
The loss was Utah's first home defeat of the season after they had reeled off five consecutive wins at Covey Field. Starting pitcher Cheyenne Rushton (4-2) suffered the loss, allowing eight runs (four earned) on eight hits in his 2.1 innings of work.
For the second day in a row, San Diego start got off to a quick start as Chad Corona smacked a two-run home in the first inning, scoring Anthony Gwynn ahead of him. Utah's Nate Weese hit s solo homer in the bottom of the inning, accounting for the Utes' only run of the game.
The Aztecs put two more runs on the board in the second inning on a two-RBI single by Gwynn and added four more in the third. The big blow in the third was a three-run homer by Carlo Cota, his first of the season as he improved his team-leading RBI total to 28.
Jake McLintock's two-RBI single in the next inning staked the Aztecs to a 10-1 lead. McLintock added a solo homer in the sixth and finished the day with four hits, three RBI and three runs scored. Brian Manfred and Chad Corona also finished the game with three hits apiece.
SDSU and Utah play the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday (March 31) at 1:00 p.m. (MST) in Salt Lake City. The game can be heard live on the Internet at www.goaztecs.com with Alan Horton calling the play-0by-play. The broadcast gets underway 10 minutes prior to game time with the Aztec Pre-Game Show.
San Diego Stat 16, Utah 1SDSU 224 201 041 - 16 20 1UTAH 100 000 000 - 1 4 3Shortell and Manfred, Allen (8)Rushton, Mackay (3), Owen (8), Simonsen (8) and HawesW - Shortell (5-2)L - Rushton (4-2)Sv - NoneHR - SDS: Corona (1st-one on), Cota (3rd-two on), McLintock (6th-non on) Utah: Weese (1st-none on)Att: - 419Time - 2:33