March 8, 2009
SAN DIEGO - One big inning proved to be the difference on Sunday as the University of San Diego defeated San Diego State, 10-7, to salvage the forth game of the team's weekend series. It was the 11th-ranked Toreros' first win over the Aztecs in five meeting this season and ended SDSU's five-game win streak over them going back to last season.
The win ended University of San Diego's three-game losing streak as it improved to 8-6. Conversely, San Diego State saw a three-game win skein halted as it fell to 7-6.
Aztec junior left-hander Nate Solow made his first start of 2009 on the mound and got through the first inning with relative ease before giving up a run on a double and a pair of singles in the second frame.
SDSU responded quickly in the bottom of the second as freshman Brandon Meredith took the first pitch he saw from USD starter Matt Thomson deep over the left field fence to tie the game at 1-1.
The visitors took the lead for good with a pair of unearned runs in the third that were made possible by a hit batter, error, wild pitch and sacrifice fly.
USD's big inning came one frame later when they scored seven times to take a 10-1 lead. Two walks, a hit batter and three SDSU errors combined with four hits helped provide what would prove to be an insurmountable lead for USD. The big hits in came in the form of two-run doubles by Steve Chatwood and Sean Nicol. The rally would end Nate Solow's (0-1) afternoon as his 3.0 innings of work allowing seven runs (four earned) on just four hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
The Aztecs fought back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run double by Meredith and added three more on Cory Vaughn's three run homer in the fifth to make to 10-7, but that's as close as they would come to completing a comeback.
After giving up the homer to Vaughn, Thomson (2-0) struck out the side and went on to retire the side in the sixth through eighth innings before giving way to reliever AJ Griffin, who got the three batters he faced in the ninth to record his second save.
Meredith was the Aztecs' offensive leader on the day with a home run, double, run scored and three runs batted in. Pat Colwell had a pair of hits with a double while Cory Vaughn had the three-run homer and scored twice.
Up next fro San Diego State is a short trip to Los Angles on Wednesday, March 11, when they will face UCLA at 6:00 p.m. at the Bruins' Jackie Robinson Stadium. Following that, the Aztec will open Mountain West Conference play next Friday (March 13) against UNLV at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium. That contest begins a Homestand that will see SDSU play 10 games over a 12-day period.