May 14, 2004
SAN DIEGO - On a night when SDSU honored 13 seniors in their final home game, San Diego State got a pair of home runs from freshman Lance Zawadzki and a solo shot from sophomore Curt Mendoza as it powered past Brigham Young, 9-4, Friday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The win moved the Aztecs' record to 30-27 on the year overall and 16-9 in Mountain West Conference play as they won for the ninth time in their last 12 games. BYU saw its record fall to 22-28 (12-12 MWC).
Zawadzki's first homer of the night came in the second inning as he staked SDSU to a 1-0 lead. One inning later, the Aztecs scored a run on an RBI single by Rielly Embrey before loading the bases for Zawadzki to send one over the right field fence to make a 6-0 Aztec advantage.
Both homers came off Brigham Young starter Paul Jacinto (2-9), who went 3.2 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits.
SDSU freshman right-hander Bruce Billings retired the first nine batters he faced, including the first four via the strikeout. However, he ran into trouble in the top of the fourth as the Cougars scored four times (two earned) to cut the home side's lead to 6-4.
However, the Aztecs answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning with Jordan Swaydan scoring on a wild pitch after he had led off the frame with a single. They added a run on Mendoza's home run in the sixth and another in the eighth on James Guerrero's two-out RBI double.
Billings (5-1) went five innings to record his fourth straight win, giving way to sophomore Ben Coon in the sixth. Coon, who tossed five innings in the win over Cal on Tuesday, showed no effects from that recent outing as he tossed a perfect three innings before Ryan Schroyer came on in the ninth to close out the win. The three combined to limit Brigham Young to four hits on the night while striking out eight Cougar batters.
Five Aztecs ended the evening with two hits apiece including Zawadzki, Guerrero, Embrey, Landon Burt and Jordan Swaydan.
San Diego State concludes it 2004 regular season with a three-game league series against Utah in Salt Lake City beginning Thursday (May 20) at Franklin Covey Field at 6:00 p.m. (MDT).
San Diego State 9, Brigham Young 4BYU 000 400 000 - 4 4 1SDS 015 101 010 - 9 13 1Jacinto, Stambaugh (4), Parsons (8) and ClowardBillings, Coon (6), Schroyer (9) and SwaydanW - Billings (5-1)L - Jacinto (2-9)Sv - NoneHR - SDS: Zawadzki-2 (4), Mendoza (4)Att. - 833Time - 2:32.