May 25, 2014
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - San Diego scored a run in the top of the sixth to break a 3-3 deadlock and went on to defeat UNLV, 4-3, to claim the championship at the 2014 Mountain West Tournament at Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas. With the conference title, SDSU's second straight, comes the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The victory improved the Aztecs to 42-19 on the year with their win total being the highest since the 2002 squad won 43 games. The team's .689 winning percentage is also the program's best since 1990 when SDSU ended the year with a 49-22 record (.690).
Sunday looked like it was going to be the Aztecs' day as they opened the contest against the Rebels with three runs in top of the first. Greg Allen tripled down the right field line to start the rally and scored on Ty France's RBI single. Brad Haynal walked and he and France moved to second and third with a double steal before Seby Zavala's sacrifice fly to right scored France and moved Haynal to third. Steven Pallares then laid down a perfect two-out bunt toward third that became base hit and allowed Haynal to come home and give SDSU a 3-0 lead.
UNLV, however, would come back to tie the game and their starter, Joey Lauria, would keep the Aztec offense in check over the next four innings.
The Rebels (35-23) got one run back in the bottom of the first off SDSU starter Bubba Derby, who was pitching on three days rest. The junior right-hander also surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth as the host Rebels knotted the contest at 3-3.
Derby would depart the game in the fifth having allowed the three runs on just three hits, but three of the four walks he surrendered proved crucial as each of those batters scored. TJ Kendzora came on in relief of Derby and tossed 1.2 innings allowing just a walk. He would be the pitcher of record for the Aztecs when they scored what would be the winning run.
That important marker came in the top of the sixth and began with back-to-back singles by Zavala and Pallares, Ryan Muno moved both runners up a base and Evan Potter then lofted a sacrifice fly to center to bring Zavala home and make it a 4-3 game.
Kendzora and right-hander Cody Thompson kept UNLV at bay over the next three innings. The Rebels got a pair of singles with two out in the seventh, but Thompson got a fly ball to right to end the threat.
The Aztecs, meanwhile had chances to add to its score line in both the seventh and eighth, but came up empty on both occasions. In the seventh they loaded the bases with one out, but a line out and pop-up ended the frame. In the eighth they put men at first and second with one out, but a pair of fly balls left the runners stranded.
It all came down the bottom of the ninth which began with UNLV pinch hitter T.J. White singling up the middle. After he was sacrificed to second, the Aztecs called Michael Cederoth in from the bullpen in relief of Thompson.
Cederoth, who had struggled in his first two tourney appearances, got a ground out to shortstop and a fly ball to right to nail down the victory and start the Aztec celebrations. It was the 20th save of the season for Cederoth as he tied the SDSU record set by Addison Reed, currently the closer for the Arizona Diamondbacks, in 2009.
The win went to Kendzora, who improved to 5-1 on the year. UNLV's Lauria was saddled with the loss to fall to 2-3.
Five Aztecs captured all-tournament honors. Haynal, Allen, Potter and pitcher Brett Seeburger were named to the squad with Pallares picking up the award as the designated hitter. Haynal was named the tournament MVP after he hit .636 (14-for-22) over SDSU's six games with four doubles, a triple, three RBI and nine runs scored. He also finished the week with a .909 slugging percentage and a .700 on-base mark.
Over its six contests at the tourney, the Aztecs as a team hit .344 and compiled 2.67 earned run average.
San Diego State will now await word on where they will go for next weekend's NCAA Regional. That announcement will be made Monday morning during the NCAA Selection Show which begins at 9:00 a.m. on ESPNU.