May 15, 2008
FULLERTON, Calif. - In what has become a recurring theme for the San Diego State baseball team this season, the Aztecs were able to put runners on base but failed to cash in on their opportunities in a 4-3 loss at Cal State Fullerton Thursday night. Even without his best stuff, sophomore starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg kept SDSU in the game, but received little support in the way of offense from his teammates.
The loss dropped San Diego State to 30-24 while the eighth-ranked Titans ran their season record to 33-17.
After the Aztecs put men on second and third with one out in the top of the first and did not score, Fullerton struck in the bottom of the frame to take a lead it would hold throughout the contest. A single by Christian Colon was followed one out later by a two-run home run by first baseman Jared Clark to spot the Titans a quick 2-0 lead. It was the first homer that Strasburg had given up in 122 innings as a collegiate pitcher.
Although SDSU answered back with a run in the second on a RBI double by Brett Tanos, it again failed to cash in later in the inning with men on first and second and one out.
Things looked promising in the third as single by Nick Romero and Garett Green put men at first and third with no outs before an unusual triple play ended the threat. With a 3-2 count on Brandon Glover, Green broke for second on the pitch. Glover swung and missed for strike three and Green was eventually tagged out in a rundown. Romero was then caught off third base and was tagged out as the Titans escaped the threat.
It was the same story of missed opportunity in the fourth for SDSU as it loaded the bases with one out and failed to convert. Cal State Fullerton starter Jeff Kaplan was living on the edge over those first four innings, but settled down to retire the side in order in both the fifth and sixth before being lifted from the game after throwing 122 pitches. He would be credited with the victory to improve to 10-1.
Despite lacking his usual sharpness, Strasburg kept the Fullerton offense in check until the sixth when a single by Clark and a walk to Joel Weeks were followed by a two-out double off the bat of Dustin Garneau that brought both runners home and made it a 4-1 contest.
The end of the sixth inning was also the end of the evening for Strasburg (8-2), who was charged with the four runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking two. It was only the second time this season that the Aztec right-hander had surrendered more than one walk in a game.
Despite their earlier failures, the Aztecs climbed back into the contest in the seventh as they scored twice on a triple by Brandon Decker, RBI double by Troy Hanzawa, single by Nick Romero, walk to Green and a sacrifice fly by Glover.
That was as close as they would get, however, as reliever Michael Morrison held them in check in the eighth before Adam Jorgenson closed out the ninth to record his eighth save of the year.
Romero and first baseman Brett Tanos had two hits apiece for SDSU while the pitching threesome of Brandon Pullen, James McLaughlin and Chase Thomas kept the Titans off the board over the final two frames while recording one strikeout apiece.
San Diego State and Cal State Fullerton continue their three-game weekend series on Friday with a contest slated for a 7:00 p.m. (PDT) start at Goodwin Field.