April 26, 2011
SAN DIEGO - Trevor Hairgrove's solo home run to lead off the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and propelled UC Riverside to a 5-3 win over San Diego State Tuesday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The win provided a measure of payback for the Highlanders, who lost to SDSU in Riverside in late March.
The defeat was a tough one for San Diego State, which got an excellent pitching effort from freshman left-hander Mitch Bluman in his first start of the season. He would go seven innings allowing two runs on four hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. He would not be involved in the decision, but was unfortunate not to have the lead when he departed the contest.
For the first time in nine outings, the Aztecs' opponent failed to score in the opening inning, but the Highlanders did put a run on the board in the top of the second. David Andreise led off with a sinking liner to left that turned into a triple when left fielder Tim Zier made a diving attempt at a catch and the ball went by him to the fence. Andreise then scored on a ground out to shortstop to make it a 1-0 game.
The Aztecs wasted little time in tying the game as they tallied a run in the bottom of the same inning. Jomel Torres singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Zier. A balk by UCR starter Dustin Emmons was followed by a wild pitch that allowed Torres to score.
After the visitors restored their lead with a run in the third, SDSU re-tied the game at 2-2 with a marker of its own in the fourth. Torres singled with one out, advanced to third on a hit-and-run single by Zier and came home on a wild pitch by Emmons.
In the top of the eighth San Diego State brought Corey Black out of the bullpen in relief of Bluman and his second pitch was deposited over the left field offense by Hairgrove. Later in the inning UCR would make it 4-2 with an unearned run made possible by an Aztec error, a single, a wild pitch and RBI base hit up the middle.
The Aztecs replied with a run in their half of the eighth. With reliever Mike Wolford on the mound for UCR, Pat Colwell reached on a fielder's choice and came around to score on a balk and a pair of wild pitches.
But the Highlanders added an insurance run in the ninth and Wolford then retired the Aztecs in order to secure the victory and record his first save. Emmons (4-2) was credited with the win while SDSU's Black took the loss to fall to 2-4.
Up next for San Diego State is a trip east for a three-game series against Western Carolina that begins with a contest on Friday, April 29, at 6:00 p.m. (ET) and Hammon Stadium in Cullowhee N.C.