April 5, 2009
SAN DIEGO - Daniel Cepin's first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the sixth inning, drove in what proved to be the eventual winning run as UC Davis defeated San Diego State, 6-5, Sunday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The victory ended a four-game losing streak for the Aggies who improved to 5-21. With the loss, the Aztecs record dropped to 22-11.
The teams matched runs over the first four innings with the visitors scoring single runs in the first and third and SDSU coming back with runs in the first and fourth to make it 2-2 after four frames.
After UC Davis opened the contest with a run off Aztec starter Nate Solow in the first, San Diego State responded with a run in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI single by Erik Castro. After the Aggies took a 2-1 lead, Castro again provided a response with a solo homer to right in the bottom of the fourth.
UC Davis took lead for good in the fifth when Ty Kelly's one-out base hit to right got by SDSU left fielder Brandon Decker with Kelly advancing all the way to third. The next batter, Ryan Scoma, lofted a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 3-2 contest.
That run would eventually make a winner of Aggie starting pitcher Jeremy McChesney (1-4) as he picked up his first victory of 2009.
SDSU's Solow, who would give up Cepin's three-run homer in the top of the sixth, took the loss to fall to 1-3. The junior lefty went six innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts. Sophomore Craig Rasmussen finished out the final three frames on the mound for SDSU, giving up a leadoff single in the seventh before retiring the final nine men he faced.
Trailing 6-2, the Aztecs fought back with a run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Cory Vaughn, but ended the frame with the bases loaded. In the seventh, they closed to within a run on an RBI single by Castro and sacrifice fly by Vaughn, but again left three men stranded trailing 6-5.
Aggie reliever Scott Lyman, who came on to get the final two outs in the seventh, would finish out the contest on the mound. Although he allowed a hit in each of the final two innings, he kept SDSU off the scoreboard to record his and the Aggies' first save of 2009.
Erik Castro finished the afternoon with three singles, a home run, three RBI and a run scored to lead the Aztec offense. It was Castro's fourth four-hit game since March 18 and moved him into the team home run lead with six.
Pat Colwell (two runs scored) and Brandon Decker (run scored) had two hits apiece while Vaughn contributed a pair of RBI in the losing cause.
Up next for the Aztecs is a short trip north on Tuesday, April 7, when they will face Long Beach State for a non-conference contest at 6:00 p.m. at Blair Field in Long Beach.