May 23, 2007
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - San Diego was on the losing end of a 1-0 pitchers duel against New Mexico, then rebounded to defeat Utah, 12-1, at the 2007 Mountain West Conference baseball tournament in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The Aztecs got complete-game efforts from its starting pitchers in each game, but could not come up with the timely hit in the opener.
Senior right-hander Bruce Billings was the unlucky hurler in SDSU's tourney opener as his teammates provided little offense against UNM starter Bobby LaFromboise. Billings (4-4) scattered seven hits over his nine innings of work as he turned in the first complete game of his four-year SDSU career in perhaps his final appearance for the Red and Black.
The only run of the contest came in the first inning when New Mexico's Jordan Pacheco struck out but reached first on what looked like a catchable ball but was ruled a wild pitch. Pacheco then scored on a two-out single to left by Matt Hibbits.
That run was enough for LaFromboise (7-3), who allowed six hits, five walks and six strikeouts while going the distance to pick up the win. Although SDSU had at least one runner in eight of the nine innings, they were unable to get a key hit, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Troy Hanzawa and Garret Green had two singles apiece to account for four of San Diego State's six hits in the contest.
The win allowed the Lobos to advance in the winners' bracket where they will face Brigham Young Thursday morning at 11:00 a.m. For the Aztecs, the loss put them into the losers' bracket where they had to turn around and immediately face Utah (which lost to UNLV in the tourney opener) in an elimination game Wednesday night. That contest had a more favorable tone for SDSU as its 12-1 win ended the Utes' 2007 season.
The Aztecs opened the scoring with three runs in the second inning with the key hit being a two-run single by right fielder Pat Colwell. By the time the rally was over, SDSU had totaled as many hits (six) as it had recorded in the game against New Mexico earlier in the day.
Colwell ended the game with three hits and three runs scored while Parker and teammate Nick Romero finished with three runs batted in apiece. In all, the Aztecs pounded five Utah pitchers for 17 hits. That total included 14 singles, doubles by Parker and Colwell, and a triple by Frank LoNigro.
As well as Billings and LaFromboise had pitched in the previous game, SDSU junior right-hander Steven Hirschfeld topped both with his own complete-game effort in the nightcap. Hirschfeld (5-4) walked none and struck out nine while allowing just five hits. Of those five hits, two came in the ninth inning when the Utes scored their only run on what was ruled a wild pitch although it looked to have hit the catcher squarely in the glove.
The win over Utah keeps San Diego State alive in the double-elimination tournament and it will next face the loser of Thursday morning's UNM-BYU contest tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. (PDT). That game can be viewed lived on The Mtn television network and may also be heard on the Internet at www.GoAztecs.com.