March 29, 2014
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego State let a three-run lead midway through the contest slip from its grasp as it fell to visiting Fresno State, 6-4, Saturday evening. The loss ended a short three-game winning streak for SDSU, which saw its record fall to 20-7 overall and 6-5 in the Mountain West Conference.
After the Bulldogs made it 1-0 in the top of the second, SDSU responded with four unanswered runs over the next three innings to take a 4-1 lead. The Aztecs scored once in the second on an RBI single by Evan Potter, once in the third on a Bulldog error and twice in the fourth courtesy of run-scoring singles by Brad Haynal and Spencer Thornton.
Aztec starter Mike Robards retired the side in order in both the third and fourth frames, but ran into trouble in the fifth. Fresno State (16-11, 6-5 MW) got to the junior left-hander for three runs on four hits to tie the contest before reliever Cody Thompson ended the inning with the score knotted at 4-4.
Thompson remained on the mound and got through the sixth inning, but a pair of Bulldogs singles with an out in between meant the end to his night. Brett Seeburger was called upon and he struck out the next batter for the second out. Steven Pallares then made the move from first base to the mound in a relief capacity.
Pallares' first pitch to pinch hitter Austin Guibor was lashed into right field for a double that brought home both runners and would result in Thompson eventually being charged with the loss.
The Bulldogs called on reliever Garret Mundell and he tossed three perfect innings, retiring all nine batters he faced from the seventh through ninth, to pick up his first save. FSU hurler Casey Rodriguez was the beneficiary of his team's rally in the seventh as he picked up the win after pitching to only one batter in the bottom of the sixth.
Haynal finished the night with three hits for SDSU while Tim Zier and Seby Zavala (double) had two apiece.
San Diego State and Fresno State will play the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday starting at 1:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.