March 23, 2010
SAN DIEGO - Santa Clara pitcher Chris Mendoza tossed a complete-game and frustrated the Aztec offense all afternoon as the Broncos claimed a 5-1 victory in the finale of their four-game series with the Aztecs. Santa Clara saw itsd record move to 7-10 while the loss ended a three-game winning streak for SDSU, which fell to 9-11.
Putting runners on base was the theme of the day as both teams left at least one man on in every inning except the bottom of the sixth. The visitors stranded 13 runners to SDSU's 11, but it was the Aztecs who were frustrated by an inability to take advantage of some golden scoring opportunities.
In the opening inning, San Diego State had runners at first and second only to have the threat ended by a double play. After Santa Clara scored in the second, SDSU saw another double play end their hopes of a big inning in the bottom of the frame.
The Aztecs did get on the board in the third to tie the game at 1-1 when Chris Wilson's bases-loaded sacrifice fly scored Brandon Meredith from third, but SDSU could muster just the lone run.
In the fifth, San Diego State put runners on first and third with one out, but again came up empty as Mendoza got a pop out and grounder to first. Their inability to cash in came back to haunt them when the Broncos scored three times in the top of the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Curtis Wagner and Tommy Medica, a dropped fly ball in the outfield and an RBI single by pinch hitter Drew Ozanne. Those three runs were charged to Aztec freshman left-hander Matthew McDaniel, who would take the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season.
San Diego State had a chance to answer back in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with one out only to see a double play once again end the rally. The Broncos added an insurance run in the ninth before Mendoza (1-0) closed out his complete-game effort to record his first win.
For the Aztecs, Meredith finished with three hits and scored SDSU's lone run while teammate Mitch Blackburn added a pair of singles.
San Diego State will now open Mountain West Conference play as it travels to Albuquerque this weekend for a three-game series against the New Mexico. The first contest between the Aztecs and Lobos is slated for Friday, March 26, at 6:00 p.m. (MT) at Isotopes Park.