March 4, 2005
MOBILE, Ala. - Guillermo Martinez's leadoff home run in the bottom of the 10th inning completed a late comeback as South Alabama defeated San Diego State, 5-4, at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile Friday evening. The loss extended SDSU's losing streak to eight games as they fell to 2-13 on the year while the Jaguars climbed to 6-5.
Martinez's heroics would not have been possible were it not for a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth by teammate David Freese that tied the game the game at 4-4. The Aztecs had led from the first inning up until that point behind the pitching of sophomore Bruce Billings.
For the second straight contest, Billings deep into the game, allowing no earned runs over his seven innings of work while scattering four hits and striking out six. The Aztecs held a 4-1 lead when he was replaced by reliever Cody Campbell to begin the eighth.
After a double play erased an inning-opening single, Campbell walked two hitters and was relieved by freshman Andres Esquibel. Esquibel took Freese to a 3-2 count before the Jaguar third baseman deposited his homer deep over the left center field fence. That set the stage of Martinez's game-winning blast, also off Esquibel, in the 10th.
San Diego State opened the game with a run in the top of the first with Lance Zawadzki singling home James Guerrero who had doubled with one out.
SDSU took a 3-0 lead in the third on three hits and a Jaguar miscue. Leadoff single by Quintin Berry and Guerrero put runners on first and third. With one out, James Scott's grounder to first was thrown into left field by South Alabama first baseman E.J. Basta, allowing Berry to score. Guerrero than came home on Tim O'Brien's double.
The Jaguars scored an unearned run in their half of the fourth on a two-out throwing error by Zawadzki, but the Aztecs restored their three-run lead in the top of the eighth when Brock Ungricht singled home pinch runner Joseph Scaperotta with two outs.
South Alabama reliever Chase Christianson tossed the final two innings to pick up his second win of the year against no defeats. Esquibel, meanwhile, saw his record fall to 1-4.
Four Aztecs collected two hits apiece on the night. That quartet included Guerrero, O'Brien, Ungricht and Jordan Swaydan as SDSU out-hit the Jaguars 12-8.
The Aztecs and Jaguars continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday when they meet at 1:00 p.m. (CST) at Stanky Field on the South Alabama campus.
South Alabama 5, San Diego State 4 (10 inn.)SDS 102 000 010 0 - 4 12 2USA 000 100 030 1 - 5 8 2Billings, Campbell (8), Esquibel (8) and SwaydanSimmons, Petersen (8), Christianson (9) and Collins, Nichols (8)W - Christianson (2-0)L - Esquibel (1-4)Sv - NoneHR - USA: Freese (1), Martinez (1)Time - 3:07Att. - 895