Feb. 13, 2015
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - After losing a lead late in the game, San Diego State rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh and held on for a 5-4 victory over Valparaiso Friday evening at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The game was the season opener for both squads and was played before a sold-out venue in front of 2,519 fans who came to honor Tony Gwynn on the occasion of the retirement of his number.
The Aztecs opened the scoring in their half of the second inning as freshman Denz'l Chapman's single drove home Andrew Brown and Spender Thornton, who had reached on a single and error respectively. They made it a 3-0 contest two innings later when Thornton's single up the middle brought home Brown, who had reached on a one-out error.
SDSU junior right-hander Bubba Derby put in a stellar performance through his 5.2 innings, allowing a run on three hits with a walk and 14 strikeouts. He left the game with a 3-1 lead, but would not figure in the decision.
Valpo struck back to take its first lead of the evening with three runs in the top of the seventh. Those runs came on three consecutive hit batters, a walk, single and RBI ground out.
San Diego State, however, responded to regain the lead in its half of the seventh. Thornton led off by reaching on an error and advanced to second on Steven Pallares' one-out single to center. After both runners advance on a passed ball, Danny Sheehan brought home the tying run with a ground out to shortstop to even the score at 4-4. Seby Zavala then laced a double to left to bring home Pallares with what would prove to be the winning run.
Junior right-hander Brian Heldman (1-0), a junior college transfer making his first appearance for the Aztecs, was the beneficiary of his team's rally as he was credited with the win.
The Crusaders tried to rally in the top of the ninth, putting men on first and second with one out. But senior lefty Mitch Bluman came on to get the second out and Zack Oakley recorded the final out to notch his first save as an Aztec.
SDSU tallied nine hits in the game with all nine starters reaching base safely.
Valparaiso and San Diego State will play the second game of their three-game weekend series on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 1:00 p.m. The Aztecs will honor SDSU's Golden Spikes Award winners Travis Lee and Stephen Strasburg with commemorative t-shirts being distributed to the first 500 fans in attendance. The team will also help publicize it Aztecs vs. Cancer campaign as several players will have their heads shaved on the field prior to the contest.