Feb. 11, 2006
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Curt Mendoza's two run homer in the opening inning, his first of the season, gave San Diego State a lead it would not relinquish as it went on to defeat Santa Clara, 10-4, at Stephen Schott Stadium Saturday afternoon. Mendoza's two-out blast to center field scored Sam Pepper, who had singled to reach base with one out.
With the victory, the Aztecs improved to 2-4 on the season while the Bronco's are also 2-4 after the first six games of the year.
San Diego State stating pitcher Justin Masterson (1-0) picked up his first win of the year, going seven innings and allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out six. Bronco starter Justin Kuehn, who went 5.1 innings and gave up seven earned runs, took the loss to fall to 0-2.
After Santa Clara got a run back in the bottom of the first, SDSU went up 3-1 in the third as Quintin Berry walked, went to second when Sam Pepper was hit by pitch, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Paul Smyth.
The Aztecs added three in the next frame as Brock Ungricht hit a one-out triple to right center and scored when Bronco second baseman Eric Newton's relay went into the Aztec dugout. An ensuing single and double by Tim O'Brien and Joseph Scaperotta respectively set the table for an RBI single by Chris Anderson and sac fly by Berry.
After the home side closed the score to 6-2, SDSU put a pair of runs on the board in the sixth on another run-scoring single by Anderson and a double steal in which Berry went from first to second and Scaperotta scored from third.
Trailing 8-3, Santa Clara mounted a serious threat in the bottom of the eighth when reliever Ben Coon put the first two hitters on a walk and a single. That brought Brett Douglas out of the pen, and after a bad-hop single scored a run, Douglas struck out pinch hitter Donald Brandt on a called third strike and induced third baseman Dustin Realini to hit into an inning-ending double play.
SDSU tacked on a pair of insurance runs in their final at bat as Brock Ungricht's two-out single was followed by Tim O'Brien's home run to deep left field.
The homer was O'Brien's third hit of the afternoon as he also scored three times while Ungricht also finished with three hits and a pair of runs scored. Chris Anderson was the other Aztec with a multiple-hit day as he drove in two runs on a pair of singles.
The Aztecs and Broncos will conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon beginning at 1:00 p.m.
San Diego State x, Santa Clara xSDS 201 302 002 - 10 13 2SCU 100 010 110 - 4 13 1Masterson, Coon (8), Douglas (8) and AndersonKuehn, Lombard (6) and WattsW - Masterson (1-0)L - Kuehn (0-2)Sv - NoneHR - SDS: Mendoza (1st-one on), O'Brien (9th-none on)Att. - 515Time - 3:12