April 15, 2006
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State combined a good pitching performance by junior Bruce Billings with some timely hitting as it defeated Utah, 9-3, Saturday afternoon to claim the weekend series with the Utes, two games to one.
Junior right-hander Bruce Billings recorded his second win of the year to improve to 2-3 as he allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits over his seven innings of work. Along the way he struck out eight.
SDSU (13-27, 5-4 in the Mountain West Conference) took the lead for good in the first inning, striking for a pair of runs on a single by Quintin Berry, triple by Lance Zawadzki and single by Paul Smyth. It was the first of three hits on the afternoon for Smyth, who also homered later in the game (8th inning) and ended his day with three RBI.
Utah (18-15, 3-3 MWC) drew within a run in the top of the third when second baseman Tyler Kmetko led off with a solo home run. But that was as close as it would get as the Aztecs responded with three in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-1 lead.
In that three-run fourth, Sam Pepper's two out double drove in Tim O'Brien and advanced Joey Huskins to third before Berry's two-run single to right brought home Pepper and Huskins. SDSU built its advantage to 8-1 with a run in the sixth and two in the seventh before the visitors scored a pair of unearned runs in the eighth off Billings.
Senior reliever Adam Simon came on for Billings with one out in the eighth to record the final two outs of the inning, then pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the victory.
In addition to Smyth having a fine day at the plate, Berry had a pair of hits, three RBI and a stolen base while third baseman Tim O'Brien had three singles and scored twice.
Up next for San Diego State is its first conference road trip of the season as it travels to Las Vegas for a three-game series with UNLV beginning Friday, April 21, at 6:00 p.m. at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
San Diego State 9, Utah 3Utah 000 100 020 - 3 6 0SDSU 200 301 210 - 9 11 2Trinnaman, Krause (5), Ast (6), DeVore (7) and BellBillings, Simon (8) and AndersonW - Billings (2-3)L - Trinnaman (1-2)Sv - NoneHR - Utah: Kmetko-3 (4th-none on) SDSU: Smyth-5 (8th-none on)Time - 3:05Att. - 639