April 9, 2012
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego State saw an early 2-0 lead go by the wayside as the University of San Diego struck for five runs over the middle three frames en route to a 6-2 win over the Aztecs Monday evening at Tony Gwynn Stadium. With the win, the 19th-ranked Toreros improved to 26-8 while SDSU saw its record drop to 17-17.
The Aztecs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on John Spirk's solo home run, his third of the season. They added another run in the third when Matt Muñoz drew a bases-loaded walk to make it a 2-0 contest.
The Aztec had several other early opportunities to score, but left 11 runners on base over the first four frames including leaving the bases loaded in the first, third and fourth. Those missed chances would come back to haunt the home side as it created few chances from the fifth inning on. SDSU left a total of 14 runners on base over the course of the game.
USD, meanwhile, scored the tying runs in the top of the fourth on Louis Lechich's two-run homer off SDSU starter Philip Walby. The Toreros took the lead in the next inning when Dillon Checkal walked with two outs, went to second on a single by Corey LeVier and scored on Kris Bryant's single to left. The visitors would not relinquish the lead the rest of the night and that would make a loser of Walby, whose record fell to 0-2.
San Diego made it a 5-2 contest with another pair of runs in the sixth on a two-run double by Bryan Haar. That ended Walby's evening as the sophomore's final line read five runs allowed (four earned) on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout over 5.2 innings.
Freshman right-hander Taylor Hansen came on in relief of Walby and went the next 2.1 innings. He would give up the Toreros' final run of the night in the ninth inning when he surrendered a leadoff double to Haar and an RBI single by Austin Bailey.
USD pitcher Drew Jacobs, who tossed the middle three innings in relief, was credited with the victory to even his record at 1-1. Mike Wagner went the final two frames to notch his 15 save of the season.
Aztec second baseman Tim Zier and designated hitter Chris Willson had two singles apiece to account for half of the Aztecs' hits on the night.
San Diego State will be back in action Tuesday night (April 10) when it hosts Long Beach State in a contest scheduled to get underway at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.