May 18, 2002
Las Vegas - San Diego State got three-run home runs from Garrett Cook and Jake McLintock en route to an 8-5 win over UNLV at Earl Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Aztecs finish the regular season with a 40-21 record (20-10 Mountain West Conference) as Jim Dietz's squad reaches the 40-win plateau for the first time since 1997. The loss dropped the Rebels to 28-28 on the year and they finish fifth in the final MWC standings at 13-17.
The game was the second straight come-from-behind effort for SDSU, which found itself down 401 after two innings. After the Aztecs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on an RBI single by Anthony Gwynn, the Rebels responded with four runs on six singles in the bottom of the frame off SDSU starter Joe Carque.
San Diego State came back to re-take the lead at 5-4 in the fourth, tying the contest on Cook's three-run dinger and going ahead when Anthony Gwynn scored on a throwing error by UNLV first baseman Eric Nielsen later in the inning.
The Aztecs added three more in the next frame to increase their advantage to 8-4 when Jake McLintock's drive over the left field fence brought home Carlo Cota and Cook ahead of him. Cook finished the day with a pair of hits, a walk, three runs and three RBI. Jon Stephens and Anthony Gwynn also recorded two hits apiece for SDSU.
UNLV added a consolation run in the seventh on a homer by Jason Reuss before SDSU's Royce Ring was called upon to pitch the final to innings.
SDSU starter Joe Carque was credited with the win to raise his record to 8-3 on the season. UNLV starter Giovanni Pupo took the loss to fall to 2-4. Ring, who struck out three in his two innings of work, picked up his 16th save.
San Diego State now turns its attention to the upcoming Mountain West Conference Tournament that begins on Wednesday (May 22) at Brigham Young's Larry H. Miller Field. The Aztecs will open the tourney against New Mexico at 11:00 a.m. that morning.
Other first-round games will have UNLV facing Utah at 3:00 p.m. and the host Cougars taking on Air Force at 7:00 p.m.
San Diego State 8, UNLV 5SDSU 010 430 000 - 8 8 0UNLV 040 001 000 - 5 12 2Carque, Jenson (5), Human (6), Ring (8) and Allen, Manfred (9)Pupo, Bonnell (4), Harris (5), Seccombe (6), Maruffi (9) and NepaW - Carque (8-3)L - Pupo (2-4)Sv - Ring (16)HR - SDSU: Cook (4th-two on), McLintock (5th-two on) UNLV: Reuss (7th-none on)Att. - 302Time - 3:32