April 29, 2008
TUCSON, Ariz. - In a well-pitched game on both sides, Arizona came out on top with a 3-2 win over San Diego State Tuesday night at Frank Sancet Stadium in Tucson. The loss was the third straight for the Aztecs, who fell to 25-20 on the season. The Wildcats, meanwhile, improved to 29-13 as they won for the 17th time in 20 home games this year.
SDSU got another excellent pitching performance from sophomore left-hander Nate Solow, who had won each of his last two starts. He went 5.2 innings, scattering seven hits while striking out eight. He was charged with all three Arizona runs and was tagged with the loss to fall to 3-6. Junior James McLaughlin tossed the final 2.1 innings, allowing just a pair of hits along with three strikeouts.
After the Wildcats opened the scoring with a run in the first, the Aztecs responded in the next inning as a two-out double by Bubba Ruddy drove home Nick Romero, who had opened the frame with a single to right.
San Diego State took the lead with a run in the top of the fourth, again with Ruddy getting the key hit. He followed Brandon Glover's one-out walk with his second double of the game, this one to left center to score Glover from first.
Arizona knotted the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by Daniel Butler, then scored what would prove to be the winning run in the fifth on a double by T.J. Steele and single by C.J. Ziegler.
Cory Burns, who came on in the top of the fifth in relief of starter Mike Colla, was credited with the victory to improve to 3-0. Closer Jason Stoffel, who retired the side in the ninth, picked up his ninth save.
Ruddy was the lone SDSU hitter to record more than one hit in the contest as he accounted for both Aztec RBI. Brandon Decker and Pat Colwell each had a single as they extended their current hitting streaks to 13 and 11 games respectively.
San Diego State and Arizona conclude their brief two-game series on Wednesday, April 30, with a game scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. (PDT) start in Tucson.