Feb. 25, 2008
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State took advantage of a couple of San Diego errors to take an early lead and then built on that advantage in a 7-1 win over the 12th-ranked Toreros at USD's Cunningham Stadium Monday afternoon. With the victory, the Aztec claimed three of the four games in the season-opening series against their local rival, which sported a No. 5 national ranking in the preseason. That performance has moved San Diego State into the national spotlight as it appears at No. 22 in Baseball America's poll and 26th in Collegiate Baseball's rankings this week.
SDSU newcomer Jon Berger, a junior right-hander from the College of Southern Nevada, was Monday's pitching star. Making his collegiate debut, Berger (1-0) went seven innings, giving up no runs on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Only two USD runners reached as far as second base against him and he allowed more than one base runner in an inning on only one occasion.
Berger received some early run support as SDSU (3-1) scored twice in its first at bat thanks to a pair of Torero miscues. Leadoff hitter Brett Tanos reached on a walk off USD freshman starter Kyle Blair. An attempted pickoff move by the Torero right-hander sailed past first base, allowing Tanos to advance to third. Troy Hanzawa's single then brought home the first run of the day, but there was more to come.
Nick Romero hit a deep fly to left that was chased down by Kevin Muno. Hanzawa, who had been off on the play and was past second base, had to retreat to first to avoid being doubled up. Hanzawa beat the throw, but the relay from second baseman Kevin Hansen was high and sailed into the SDSU dugout to allow Hanzawa to move to third base. Garett Green then lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score the second unearned run of the inning.
The Aztecs added another unearned run off Blair in the fourth on back-to-back singles by right fielder Cory Vaughn and catcher Erik Castro plus a passed ball that got by Torero catcher Logan Gelbrich.
Blair (0-1) went two more innings and finished with eight strikeouts, but his USD teammates were unable to generate any offense against Berger. Blair was relieved by closer AJ Griffin in the seventh, and SDSU needed just one inning against him to double their run total.
In the top of the eighth, Green's leadoff single was followed one out later by an RBI triple to right off the bat of Vaughn. Castro followed Vaughn's hit with a home run to right center that gave SDSU a 6-0 lead.
The Toreros avoided the shutout by scoring a single marker in the bottom of the inning off SDSU reliever J.R. Murphy, who had tossed 3.2 innings and picked up a save in SDSU's Saturday night victory. An RBI single by Josh Romanski brought home Tony Strazzara, who had opened the inning with a single and gone to third on another single by Sean Nicol.
San Diego State, however, got the run right back in its final at bat on back-to-back singles by Troy Hanzawa and Nick Romero, a double steal and an RBI ground out to first by Brandon Glover.
Freshman closer Addison Reed came on in the bottom of the ninth with two on and no outs, getting a strikeout and 6-4-3 double play to close out the game.
Hanzawa, Vaughn and Castro ended the afternoon with two hits apiece. Both Vaughn and Hanzawa crossed the plate twice while Castro drove in a pair of runs.
The Aztecs now return home for a contest against USC on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.