Feb. 17, 2015
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego State rallied from a five-run deficit and scored a late winner as it defeated Loyola Marymount, 7-6, Tuesday evening at Tony Gwynn Stadium. With the win the Aztecs improved to 4-0 while the Lions lost for the first time in 2015 and dropped to 3-1.
LMU used the long ball and some wildness on the part of SDSU starting pitcher Marcus Reyes to forge a 5-0 lead after five innings. After scoring an unearned run in the opening frame, the visitors added two more in the third on a two-run home run by designated hitter Sean Watkins for a 3-0 lead.
Two innings later the Lions added two more runs, the first coming on a solo homer by left fielder Billy Wilson. David Fletcher then singled and stole second and third before scoring on a wild pitch to give LMU the 5-0 lead.
SDSU, meanwhile managed only a pair of hits off LMU starter Brenton Arriaga though the opening five frames. When the sophomore lefty was lifted to begin the sixth the Aztecs took advantage of the Lion bullpen to put six runs on the board and take their first lead of the contest.
San Diego State opened the inning by loading the bases and scoring when Ty France was hit by pitch. Ryan Muno then singled up the middle to bring home two more runs and make it a 5-3 contest. A balk and a sacrifice fly tied the game before Steven Pallares' two-out single drove home the sixth run of the inning.
The Lions answered SDSU's rally by tying the contest with an unearned run in the top of the seventh. Wilson led off with a single and advanced to third when the ball was thrown into center field during his attempted steal of second. He would eventually score on a slow roller to first to deadlock the contest at 6-6.
San Diego State, however, would score the winning run in the bottom half of the seventh. Muno's two-out double was cashed in when Andrew Brown's single to right allowed him to score the run that provided the final 7-6 score line.
Aztec junior right-hander Brian Heldman was the pitcher of record when his team scored the game-winning run and he was credited with the win to improve to 2-0.
LMU tried to rally in the ninth, putting two men on with one out before CJ Saylor came out of the SDSU bullpen to strike out the next two batters to secure the victory. That effort gave Saylor his second save of the season.
San Diego State will continue it season-opening six-game home stand on Thursday, Feb. 19, when it hosts UC Riverside for a contest scheduled to get underway at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.