Feb. 19, 2006
SAN DIEGO - Quintin Berry's three-run double in the eighth inning gave the San Diego State baseball team its first lead of the weekend. The hit proved to be the game winner as the Aztecs defeated 22nd-ranked Cal Poly 10-8 Sunday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The come-from-behind win was hard earned as the Mustangs got their offense going in the first inning once again, scoring five times from two home runs. Jimmy Van Ostrand belted a three-run homer and Bryan Kepner followed that with a two-run shot later in the inning.
SDSU (3-7) started chipping away at the lead in the first, when Berry scored after stealing third and the throw from catcher Matt Canepa sailed into left field. Berry finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.
The following inning, third baseman Tim O'Brien slapped a home run over the right field wall to bring home two more runs. O'Brien and Berry were two of four Aztecs to have multi-hit games. Senior Paul Smyth had three hits, one of which was a solo home run in the fourth inning and freshman Nick Romero finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Cal Poly (9-3) would add to their lead, scoring two runs in the fourth inning, but once again the Aztecs would respond. Following Smyth's home run and an O'Brien single, Romero would single home O'Brien. Romero would later score from third after a wild pitch.
Both squads tallied a run in the seventh. The Mustangs run came when Kepner slapped a double to score Matt Cooper who had walked. For SDSU, first baseman Brock Ungricht would bring home Berry with a sacrifice fly. Berry would get up again in the following inning for his bases-clearing knock in the right centerfield gap that scored Romero, senior Sam Pepper and leftfielder Joseph Scaperotta.
Mike Koons got the start for the Aztecs and got a no decision. He threw six complete innings, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits, striking out six. His counterpart, Evan Reed was pulled after the second inning. Reed allowed two earned runs and four hits in two innings of work. Relief pitcher Justin Lynch got the win (1-1) and Adam Simon got his first save of the season.
SDSU heads north next week. It will take on USC at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at Dedeaux Field, before squaring off against UC Irvine next weekend. The first two games will be played in Irvine, but the series finale will take place at 1 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.