Feb. 4, 2007
SAN LUIS OBISPO - Wes Dorrell's bases-loaded double in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a scoreless tie and ruined a fine pitching performance by SDSU starter Lance Sewell as the Mustangs downed the Aztecs, 4-0, Sunday afternoon in San Luis Obispo. The win allowed Cal Poly to win the series as it improved to 2-5 on the young season. San Diego State fell to 1-2, losing for the second consecutive day after opening their season with a victory on Friday.
The game evolved as a pitching duel between Sewell and Mustang starter Thomas Eager. The Aztec lefty went 5.1 innings before being lifted after reaching his pitch count for the game. He allowed just two hits and struck out four before turning the game over to reliever Shane Kaufman.
Eager, meanwhile, also gave up just a pair of hits over eight innings of work while striking out six. His team's rally in the bottom of the eighth allowed him to even his season record at 1-1.
The Aztecs threatened a couple times during the game, but could not get the key hit when they needed it. They put runners on second and third with two out in the second, and also had runners on first and second with one out in the next inning, but came up empty both times. In the fifth, SDSU again had runners on first and second, but couldn't score.
Cal Poly, meanwhile, put at least one runner on in each of the first seven innings, but none advanced past second base as Sewell and Kaufman kept the Mustangs off the scoreboard.
In the fateful eighth inning, Kaufman walked leadoff hitter Greg Swertfager and was replaced on the mound by Bruce Billings. The senior right-hander walked the next batter, Grant Desme, before pinch hitter Scott Dominguez executed a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over.
An intentional walk to Brent Morel loaded the bases to set the stage for Dorrell's heroics as he lined a pitch to the wall in right center to bring home all three base runners. Dorrell scored later in the inning when a bad-hop grounder ricocheted off SDSU first baseman Joe Spiers out of play for a ground rule double.
The Mustang outburst made a loser of Kaufman, whose record fell to 0-1. The Aztecs finished the contest with just three hits on the board, one each by Troy Hanzawa, Garett Green and Cameron Johnson.
San Diego State now heads home to prepare for its 2007 season opener on Friday, Feb. 9, when it will host Santa Clara at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.