April 14, 2012
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - New Mexico got a pair of solid starting pitching performance and some timely hitting to sweep a doubleheader from San Diego State by scores of 5-1 and 11-4 on Saturday at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The wins allowed the Lobos (17-17, 9-2 MW) to maintain their hold on first place in the Mountain West while the Aztecs (17-20, 6-4 MW) fell into third place.
The opener began well enough for SDSU as it took a quick 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first. After Greg Allen was thrown out at home trying to score on a double by Tim Zier double, Zier advanced to third on a balk and scored on a ground out of the bat of Cody Smith. It was to be the Aztecs' only lead of the day and it last only three innings.
After not allowing a hit through the first three frames, San Diego State starter Michael Cederoth began the fourth by walking Ryan Padilla. The next batter, Mitchell Garver, then deposited a Cederoth fast ball over the left field fence to give the Lobos a 2-1 lead.
Two innings later a leadoff walk to Ben Woodchick was followed one out later by an RBI double by Padilla to make it a 3-1 contest. A walk to begin the top of the seventh ended the afternoon for Cederoth a brought fellow freshman Taylor Hansen out of the bullpen. Hansen sailed through the seventh, but was touched up for a pair of runs in the next inning on a walk to Woodchick triple by DJ Peterson and single by Padilla to increase the Lobo lead to 5-1.
New Mexico stating pitcher Austin House proved effective in keeping the SDSU offense at bay after the first inning run. The Aztec put at least one man on base in seven of the final eight frames, but were unable to add to their run total. House would toss a complete game allowing just the one run on seven hits with three walks and seven strikeouts as he evened his season record at 3-3.
Cederoth, who went 6.1 innings surrendering three runs on just two hits with three strikeouts and five walks. The loss was his first of the year as his record dropped to 2-1.
Game two saw the Lobos lead from start to finish as they got to Aztec starter Travis Pitcher for two runs in the top of the first. The Aztecs pulled a run back in their half of the second on a two-out RBI single by Zier to make it 2-1.
New Mexico, however, pulled away in its half of the third, sending 11 men to the plate and scoring six runs on four hits, two walks, a hit batter and an SDSU error.
Dillon Bryant's RBI single in the bottom of the third made it an 8-2 contest, but the Aztecs did little offensively from that point. Lobo starter Josh Walker (4-2) would claim the victory, going six innings and allowing just the two runs on five hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. Alexis Garza would throw the final three frames for the visitors to pick up his first save of the season.
San Diego State got a pair of consolation run in the bottom of the ninth on walks to Cody Smith and Chris Wilson plus a two-run single by Spencer Thornton.
Travis Pitcher, who was charged with seven runs (five earned) on five hits over his 2.1 innings of work, took the loss to fall to 3-3.
SDSU's Tim Zier finished the twin bill with five hits including a double, RBI and run scored while teammate Ryan Muno had three singles and a double over the two contests.
New Mexico and San Diego State will conclude their three-game series with a contest on Sunday (April 15) set to get underway at 1:00 p.m.