March 2, 2014
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
MORAGA, Calif. - After winning the opening contest in a one-sided affair, the San Diego State baseball team dropped the nightcap in a pitching duel that was shortened to seven innings due to travel and a rain delay earlier in the day. After taking the first game 16-5, the Aztecs found themselves on the short end of a 2-0 score in the second contest. The split of the twin bill left SDSU with a season record of 8-3 as it saw a five-game winning streak come to an end.
In the first game of the day, San Diego State scored in each of the first five innings to take control of the contest. Mixed into the middle of that run was a one hour and 23 minute rain delay in the top of the third with the Aztecs leading 6-0. The delay had little effect on the SDSU offense as it added two in the fourth and five more in the fifth to take a 13-2 lead after five frames.
Aztec starting pitcher Bubba Derby sailed through the opening three innings before surrendering a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. He would go on to toss six innings allowing just the two runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts as he picked up his first win of the season to improve to 1-0.
Third baseman Ty France continued his stellar start to the 2014 campaign as he recorded three hits including two-run homer in the top of the fourth. He also scored twice and was one of five Aztecs to cross the plate multiple times in the contest.
Tyler Adkison (double, RBI, two runs scored), Greg Allen (double, two runs scored, Ryan Muno (RBI, three runs scored) and Evan Potter (RBI, run scored) had two hits apiece while Tim Zier registered two runs batted in with a double.
As much as the first game was an offensive slugfest, the second game saw both teams stifled by stellar pitching on both sides.
For St. Mary's (5-6) sophomore right-hander Jacob Valdez tossed seven shutout innings in the abbreviated contest as he held the Aztecs to just three hits while walking three and striking out four. He would get credit for the win to move his record to 1-0.
San Diego State starter Mark Seyler would also go the distance, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. With the loss Seyler saw his record fall to 2-1 on the year.
SDSU had more than one man on base in an inning on only one occasion in the contest. The Aztecs twice advanced a runner to third with two out, but could not come up with a clutch hit to get on the board. France, Muno and Spencer Thornton collected hits for the visitor with the France and Muno reaching on doubles.
San Diego State will now have a day off before resuming action on Tuesday (Mar. 4) when it hosts the University of San Diego for a game slated to get underway at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.