May 8, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A pair of two-run homers by first baseman C.J. Cron, the second in the final inning, proved to be the difference as Utah defeated San Diego State, 5-3, in the rubber game of their three-game series at Spring Mobile Park in Salt Lake City on Sunday. It was a game that saw Utah take the early lead with SDSU coming back to go ahead only to lose in the bottom of the ninth. The win allowed the Utes to improve to 25-16 (15-5 MWC) while SDSU dropped to 16-32 (7-11 MWC).
Utah took the lead in the bottom of the third as Cron deposited a pitch from Aztec starter Mitch Bluman over the left field fence after James Brooks had singled ahead of him. The runs were the only ones allowed by Bluman, who would give up five hits and a pair of walks while striking out one over 3.2 innings.
San Diego State began its comeback effort with a run in the fifth to cut the deficit to 2-1. Singles by Ben Vasko and Tim Zier were followed by an RBI double by Evan Potter. On the next play, Zier was cut down at the plate on a fielder's choice before a strikeout ended the rally.
The Aztecs tied the contest in the seventh on a two-out bases-loaded walk to Pat Colwell. They then took a 3-2 lead in the next frame when Vasko's single drove home Jomel Torres after both he and Billon Bryant were issued walks by Ute reliever Stephen Streich.
Utah, however, wasted little time in knotting the score at 3-3 with a run in the bottom of the eighth that came on a leadoff triple by Shaun Cooper and RBI single by Cody Guymon. That sequence came against Aztec reliever Ethan Miller, who finished the frame for a total of 4.1 innings pitched with his line showing the one run on five hits with a walk and a strikeout.
With SDSU sophomore right-hander Bryan Crabb in relief in the bottom of the ninth, Brooks singled up the middle with one out before Cron deposited a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence for the win. Utah's Streich, who had given up the go-ahead run one inning earlier, was the beneficiary of Cron's blast as he picked up the win to improve to 2-1. Crabb was tagged with the loss to fall to 1-6.
Ben Vasko and Tim Zier ended the day with two hits apiece for the Aztecs. Freshman Dillon Bryant had a hit and two walks with a run scored in four plate appearances while Cody Smith extended his current hitting streak to 10 games with a double.
Up next for San Diego State is a four-game home stand that begins with a contest against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, May 10, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.