Feb. 4, 2006
HONOLULU - San Diego State got its offense going on Saturday as it touched up four University of Hawai'i pitchers for 14 hits in a 7-5 win over the Rainbows at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu. The win ended the Aztecs' three-game slide to open the season as they moved their record to 1-3. The loss was the first of the year for UH, which dropped to 3-1.
Although they only had five hits on the afternoon, the Rainbows stayed in the game by taking advantage of five walks, three hit batters, three wild pitches and three SDSU errors.
San Diego State right-hander Mike Koons (1-0) picked up his first win as an Aztec, going the final 4.2 innings in relief of starter Adam Simon. Koons allowed just one unearned run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
SDSU newcomer Paul Smyth and fourth-year senior Curt Mendoza led the Aztec attack with three hits apiece. Smyth had a home run and a pair of doubles, scoring three times while Mendoza also had three hits and drove in a pair of runs.
Hawai'i got on the board with a run in its half of the first when leadoff hitter Robbie Wilder drew a walk and stole second. He advanced to third on a ground out before Jonathan Hee was hit by pitch to put runners on first and third. Luis Avila then hit a popup behind first that fell behind first baseman Paul Smyth. Hee was forced at second on the play, but Wilder was able to score from third to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
SDSU countered with three runs in the third when singles by Sam Pepper and Jordan Swaydan set the stage for Paul Smyth's first home run as an Aztec, a shot down the left field line that gave the Aztecs a 3-1 lead.
San Diego State increased its advantage to 5-1 in the fifth as Curt Mendoza's single to right brought home Nick Romero and Smyth, who had single and doubled respectively ahead of him.
Things unraveled for Aztec starter Adam Simon in the bottom of that inning however, as he gave up a run on a single, two walks and a wild pitcher before leaving the game with the bases loaded, one out and a three-run lead.
Reliever Mike Koons was promptly greeted by a ground rule double off the bat of Rainbow first baseman Avila that closed the gap to 5-4, but Koons retired Jorge Franco on a called third strike and induced a groundout by Adam Roberts to end the inning, leaving Hawai'i runners stranded at second and third..
The Rainbows tied the game in the sixth without the aid of a hit. After Eli Christensen opened the inning by reaching on an error by SDSU second baseman Sam Pepper, Derek Dupree drew a one-out walk to put runners on first and second. Robbie Wilder then hit a grounder to shortstop Nick Romero, who stepped on second but threw wide of first for an error that allowed Christensen to score the tying run.
Not to be outdone, the Aztecs reclaimed the lead for good in the seventh on a Paul Smyth double, his second of the game, and an RBI single by Joseph Scaperotta off reliever Dean Turner, who took the loss to fall to 0-1.
They added another run in the eighth when Berry singled and went to second when the center fielder bobbled the ball, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball by reliever Matt Daly to make it a 7-5 game.
Berry finished the day with a pair of hits and two runs scored while teammate Joe Scaperotta chipped in with a pair of singles and the game-winning RBI.
San Diego continues road action next weekend as it travels to northern California to take on Santa Clara in a three-game series that begins on Friday (Feb. 10) at 6:00 p.m.
San Diego State 7, Hawai'i 5SDSU 003 020 110 - 7 14 3UH 100 031 010 - 5 5 1Simon, Koons (5) and SwaydanCosti, Soskin (5), Turner (5), Daly (8) and HernandezW - Koons (1-0)L - Turner (0-1)Sv - NoneHR - SDSU: Smyth (2nd-two on)Att - 1,205Time - 3:49