April 25, 2010
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State spotted visiting Wagner three runs in the opening inning, then rallied to take the lead for good in the second and went on to a 21-12 win in a wild contest at Tony Gwynn Stadium in Sunday. SDSU's 21 runs and 20 hits both represented team season highs as the victory completed a four-game sweep of the Seahawks by the Aztecs, who saw their record improve to 21-20 as they move over the .500 mark for the first time this season.
In addition to the total of 33 runs, the game featured 33 hits between the teams along with a dozen errors. Wagner utilized six pitchers and SDSU needed four, with all but the final hurler for each squad allowing at least two runs.
Aztec starter Ethan Miller go off to a rocky start as Wagner (16-19) scored three times in the opening frame on a pair of walks, a double and two singles.
SDSU countered with two runs in the bottom of the first as Blair Moore's two-out triple drove home Mitch Blackburn and Brandon Meredith who had reached on an error and singled respectively.
After the visitors added a run in the second to make it a 4-2 game, San Diego State answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a lead it would not relinquish. Those three runs were the result of a bases-loaded wild pitch, an RBI double by Jordan Van Hoosier and a sacrifice fly by Blackburn.
Seahawk starter Chris Rautenstrauch (3-1), who allowed SDSU's first five runs, was lifted from the game after two innings. Only three of the runs he allowed were earned, but they were enough to send him to his first defeat of the season.
The Aztecs increased their advantage with four more runs in the third, and after scoring five times in the bottom of the fifth enjoyed a seemingly safe 14-5 lead. Over the next inning and a half, however, Wagner outscored SDSU by a six-to-one margin and suddenly it was a three-run game at 15-12.
San Diego State then sent 11 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, scoring six times on eight hits and a pair of Wagner errors. Four different players drove in runs in the frame including Albert Alvarez, Matt Parker, Josh Chasse and Van Hoosier.
Sophomore right-hander John Pecoraro came on to pitch in the eighth and held the Seahawks scoreless on just one hit over the final two innings to nail down the victory. Steven Moranda, who had come on in relief of Moore in the fifth, picked up the win to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Offensively for San Diego State, 10 different players hit safely while nine finished with at least one RBI. Jordan Van Hoosier had three hits and a career-high five RBI while Josh Chasse had three hits (single, double, triple) and scored five times. Brandon Meredith also collected three hits and crossed the plate twice.
In addition, Mitch Blackburn had two hits, two runs scored and three RBI as he saw his current hitting streak reach 20 games.
SDSU continues home action this week when it hosts Long Beach State on Tuesday, April 27, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.