May 24, 2014
Nevada-SDSU Box Score
SDSU-UNLV Box Score
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - San Diego State needed 10 innings to defeat Nevada, 3-2, and then downed UNLV, 9-1, on Saturday to set up a one-game showdown for the 2014 Mountain West Tournament championship on Sunday. With the two victories the Aztecs improved to 41-19 on the season and moved to within a game of claiming their second consecutive conference tourney title.
In the opening game of the day for SDSU, the Aztecs took a 2-1 lead over Nevada after three innings. After the Wolf Pack opened with a run in the first, the Aztecs answered with a run of their own in the same inning on a RBI single by Seby Zavala. Two innings later it was Zavala again who provided a run-scoring single to give his team the 2-1 advantage.
Freshman left Marcus Reyes, making just his second start of the year, was stellar over his 7.2 innings of work as he scattered seven hits, walked none and struck out two. After he surrendered a one-out single in the top of the eighth, Michael Cederoth came on, but a walk and a single allowed Nevada to tie the game at 2-2.
Neither team was able to score in the ninth although the Wolf Pack (31-27) loaded the bases with one out in their half. Cederoth, however, induced a double play ball by leadoff hitter Kewby Meyer to end the threat.
In the bottom of the 10th, SDSU got one-out singles from Ty France and Brad Haynal off Nevada reliever Evan McMahan. After a pitching change, Zavala stepped up and a singled through the left side to score France from second for the 3-2 win.
Zavala's hit made a winner of Cederoth who improved to 6-2 after tossing 2.1innings and allowing a pair of hits, a walk and a hit batter. McMahan took the loss to fall to 3-1.
Zavala finished with three hits and all three of the Aztecs' RBI while Greg Allen, Evan Potter and Haynal had two hits each.
After an hour break, San Diego State had to face host UNLV (35-22), the lone undefeated team in the tournament. A loss would eliminate the Aztecs and give the tourney championship to the Rebels.
For the second straight game SDSU fell behind early, this time to a run in the bottom of the second off starter Brett Seeburger. That lead, however, did not last a full inning as the Aztecs responded with a run in the top of the third.
San Diego State then took control of the contest by scoring seven times over the next three frames. A four-run fourth was keyed by a bases-loaded single by Allen that brought home three runs. In the fifth SDSU got back-to-back RBI doubles from Ryan Muno and Tyler Adkison. And in the sixth a sacrifice fly by France scored Allen, who had singled to lead off the inning.
Seeburger, meanwhile, was tossing a gem on the mound. He would go 8.1 innings allowing just the one run on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts. The freshman left-hander would be credited with the victory to improve to 4-0 on the season.
Allen led the Aztec offense against the Rebels with three hits, two RBI and three runs scored. Haynal and Muno also had two hits apiece.
The two wins sets up Sunday's tournament championship contest which will get underway a 1:00 p.m. at Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas.