March 30, 2006
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State snapped its 14-game losing streak with a 5-0 victory against Utah, Thursday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs earned the win behind the solid pitching performance of Mike Koons. Koons (3-4) threw seven complete, allowing five hits and striking out five.
SDSU (7-24, 1-1) maintained a 1-0 lead for most of the game. The Aztecs scored their first run in the second inning, when shortstop Lance Zawadzki knocked in third baseman Tim O'Brien with a sacrifice fly to right field. O'Brien got to the third with a triple, his first one of the season.
SDSU got four insurance runs in the eighth inning to ensure there would be no comeback by Utah (11-11, 0-1). Second baseman Nick Romero started the rally when he blasted a solo home run to right. It was Romero's third home run of the season.
Later in the inning, left fielder Curt Mendoza sliced one down the left field line for a two-run double, scoring Zawadzki and left fielder Paul Smyth. Mendoza would then be singled home by right fielder Joseph Scaperotta.
Smyth and center fielder Quintin Berry each had multi-hit games for SDSU. Berry went 2-for3, while Smyth finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Starting pitcher Josh Cooper suffered the loss for the Utes. Cooper (3-3) pitched seven and two-thirds, giving up three runs on seven hits and struck out nine.
SDSU returns to Tony Gwynn Stadium and the Preseason Mountain West Conference Tournament on Saturday, when it squares off against TCU at 7 p.m.