May 6, 2014
LONG BEACH, Calif. - San Diego State scored three runs in the ninth inning to break a 3-3 tie and went on to a 6-3 victory over Long Beach State Tuesday evening at Blair Field. With the win the Aztecs improved to 33-16 on the year with six games remaining on the regular season schedule.
Tim Zier added to his school-record career hit total with a single and double while teammates Brad Haynal and Steven Pallares also had two hits apiece. Senior shortstop Evan Potter had one base hit, but it was a big two-RBI single during the ninth inning rally.
In addition, Ty France was hit by pitch in each of his first three plate appearances to put his name in the SDSU record book. The three HBP's in a game tie the Aztec record held by current Director of Baseball Operations Landon Burt who set the record against Utah during the 2004 season.
Freshman Marcus Reyes made his first career start for San Diego State and did not disappoint although he would not be involved in the final decision. The lefty went five innings allowing two runs on seven hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Long Beach State (23-23) grabbed the early lead with a run in the bottom of the second. Michael Hill led off with a double to left, was sacrificed to third and scored on a single up the middle by Eric Hutting.
The Aztecs responded with a run of their own two frames later as singles by Tyler Adkison and Steven Pallares put runners at first and third before a fielder's choice off the bat of Danny Sheehan allowed Adkison to score.
The 49ers took a 2-1 lead with a marker in their half of the fifth, but SDSU answered with two in the top of the sixth to go ahead 3-2. The first of those runs came on a two-out RBI double by Greg Allen that scored Pallares, who had opened the frame with a single. The second run came about with the help of a pair of LBSU errors.
Allen fell victim to a pickoff throw by Long Beach pitcher Nick Rosetta and got himself into a run down. LBSU second baseman Colton Vaughn hit Allen with a throw as he was heading to third and the ball went into foul territory. Allen was safe at third, but got tied up with shortstop Garrett Hampson while making the turn to head home. Interference was called and Allen was awarded home for the go-ahead run.
When SDSU hurler Cody Thompson, on in relief of Reyes, put two men on with two out in the bottom of the seventh, the Aztecs called on closer Michael Cederoth, who got the next batter out to end the threat.
The drama was far from over, however, as Long Beach tied the contest at 3-3 with an unearned run in the eighth. That left the game in the hands of Cederoth and LBSU reliever Logan Lombana.
When the Aztecs put the first two men on in the ninth on a walk to France and hit batter by Haynal, the home side called on their closer, Kyle Friedrichs. An error on a pickoff attempt at second by Friedrichs allowed France to advance to third. After an infield ground out, Tyler Adkison was intentionally walked to load the bases to set up a potential double play.
But the move backfired when Pallares drew a walk to force in the go-ahead run and put SDSU up 4-3. After a strikeout, Potter delivered a two-out single up the middle that brought home two insurance runs and provided the final 6-3 score line.
Cederoth (5-1) walked the first batter he faced in the ninth, but retired the next three in order including the final two via the strikeout to close out the win. Lombana took the loss for LBSU to fall to 0-2 on the season.
Up next for San Diego State is its final home stand of the 2014 season as it hosts Mountain West Conference co-leader UNLV for a three-game series this weekend. The opening contest of that set is scheduled for Friday, May 9, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.