Feb. 28, 2015
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego got a stellar pitching performance from starter Mark Seyler and some timely hitting as it defeated San Jose State, 5-1, Saturday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep of the Spartans. The win was the sixth straight for the Aztecs, who improved to 11-1 overall (3-0 Mountain West) as they are off to their best start since the 1984 season when they began 18-1.
The loss was the third straight for SJSU which saw its record drop to 4-7 (0-3 MW).
SDSU broke on top in the contest with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third against Spartan starter Ross Slaney. Steven Pallares and Danny Sheehan singled to lead off the frame with both moving up a base on a pair of SJSU errors on the Sheehan's base hit. Pallares would score on a grounder to short by Ty France and Sheehan would come home on Seby Zavala's sacrifice fly.
The Aztecs would add a run to their total two innings later when Sheehan and France opened the bottom of the fifth with singles before Ryan Muno's two-out hit to left plated Sheehan to make it a 3-0 contest.
Seyler, meanwhile, was keeping to San Jose State hitters in check allowing only a single and hit batter through the first five frames. The Spartans did get on the board with a run in the sixth with a walk, a seeing-eye single through the right side and an RBI ground out that narrowed the Aztecs' lead to two.
Seyler would pitch through the seventh inning allowing the lone run on two hits with a pair of walks and seven strikeouts. He would be rewarded for his effort by being credited with the victory to up his record to 3-0.
San Diego State would add two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth with Pallares and Sheehan both delivering RBI singles for the final 5-1 score line.
Relievers Jacob Erickson and Zack Oakley would pitch the eighth and ninth innings respectively for SDSU and successfully keep the visitors off the board to secure the victory.
Pallares and Sheehan ended the afternoon with three hits apiece along with an RBI and two runs scored. France and teammate Andrew Brown recorded two hits each on the day as well.
San Diego State will now begin a string of five consecutive road games beginning with a contest at UC Irvine on Tuesday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Anteater Ballpark.