May 16, 2003
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
San Diego - San Diego State swept a doubleheader from visiting New Mexico Friday at Tony Gwynn Stadium to conclude the 2003 regular season and clinch third place in the final Mountain West Conference standings. The Aztecs needed 12 innings to win the opener, 3-2, then cruised to an 8-3 victory in the nightcap. The wins improved SDSU to 26-30 overall and 18-12 in league play while UNM fell to 34-24 and 17-13.
The first game turned into a pitchers' duel between San Diego State's Joe Carque and New Mexico's Kris Gross. Carque went 8.2 innings, allowing two unearned runs on seven hits while striking out 10 and walking none. Gross matched that with 9.1 innings of work, scattering six hits and giving up two runs (one earned). However, neither hurler was around at the end of the contest.
The Aztecs opened the scoring in the first as James Guerrero scored from first base when Gross threw Anthony Gwynn's bunt attempt past first base and down the right field line. They doubled their lead in the third on Garrett Cook's RBI double to right center.
The visitors came back to score a pair of unearned runs in the sixth. A.J Spitaleri reached on an error and came home on a single by Ryan Barba, who later scored on Josh Mader's hit to left field.
After both teams were unable to cash in on scoring opportunities in the latter innings, SDSU pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the 12th. Gwynn opened the frame with a double and advanced to second on a fielder's choice. He then scored the game-winning marker on a passed ball.
Drew Jenson, who tossed the final 3.1 innings in relief, picked up the win to improve to 8-1 on the year. UNM's Joe Salas took the loss to fall to 1-6.
In the nightcap, San Diego State opened up a 6-0 lead after two innings and rode the pitching of freshman lefty Ben Coon, who improved to 5-4 with an eight-inning effort.
Garrett Cook staked the Aztecs to a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the first off Lobo starter Darren Coltrinari, who took the loss to fall to 3-4. SDSU then scored four unearned runs in the second, getting RBIs from Landon Burt, James Guerrero and Anthony Gwynn.
After Brandon Bingham's RBI single pulled a run back for UNM in the fourth, the Aztecs added a pair of their own on a two-RBI single by Burt in their half of the sixth.
Burt finished the day with three hits and three runs batted in while Gwynn also totaled three hits on the afternoon. UNM's Josh Mader reached safely three times during the doubleheader for the Lobos.
Up next for San Diego State is the Mountain West Conference Tournament, which begins on Wednesday (May 21) in Albuquerque. SDSU's seeding for that event depends on the outcome of Saturday's Brigham Young-Air Force contest. Should BYU win, SDSU would finish third and face New Mexico in the first round at 7:00 p.m. (MDT) on Wednesday. If the Cougars lose, SDSU would take the number-two seed and play Utah at 3:00 p.m.
San Diego State 3, New Mexico 2 (12UNM 000 002 000 000 - 2 9 2SDS 101 000 000 001 - 3 8 2Gross, Salas (10) and SpitaleriCarque, Jenson and Swaydan, Allen (10)W - Jenson (8-1)L - Salas (1-6)Sv - NoneHR - NoneTime - 3:41
Game 2San Diego State 8, New Mexico 3UNM 000 100 101 - 3 7 1SDS 240 002 00x - 8 8 0Coltrinari, Bullen (6) and GradyCoon, Leuthard (9) and AllenW - Coon (5-4)L - Coltrinari (3-4)Sv - NoneHR - SDS: Cook (1st-one on)Att. - 870Time - 2:30