April 24, 2015
FRESNO, Calif. - In a game in which it never led, San Diego State fell victim to a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning as it dropped a 5-4 decision to Fresno State at Beiden Field Friday evening. The loss extended the Aztecs' losing streak to five games as they saw their record fall to 27-16 overall and 14-8 in the Mountain West.
Fresno State (21-21, 11-8 MW) put a pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the first and added another in the second to take an early 3-0 lead. Those runs came against SDSU starter Bubba Derby, who would go 5.1 innings eventually allowing a total of four runs on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
The Aztecs closed to within a run in their half of the third to make it a 3-2 contest. Ty France was hit by pitch before Seby Zavala launched a home run over the right field fence, his team-leading eighth round-tripper of the season.
The Bulldogs, however, answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-2 lead.
SDSU closed to within a run once again in the top of the sixth, scoring on a ground out to third by Steven Pallares after Spencer Thornton had singled and Alan Trejo doubled him to third. Thornton would end the night with three hits including a double and run scored.
In the next frame, France led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third when the catcher's throw sailed into center field. After Zavala walked, Andrew Brown grounded into a double play, but France scored to tie the contest at 4-4.
Fresno State put two men on in the bottom of the seventh, but CJ Saylor came on to get the final out of the frame to end the threat.
From there neither team could muster much offensively as a walk to a Bulldog batter in the ninth was the lone base runner for either side.
In the bottom of the 10th, Fresno State first baseman Kevin Viers led off with a home run to left center field to win the game for the Bulldogs. That hit made a loser of Saylor, who fell to 1-2 on the season. FSU's Garrett Mundell, who went the final two innings and struck out five of the six batters he faced, was credited with the win to even his record at 2-2.
San Diego State and Fresno State will continue their weekend series on Saturday, April 25, with a contest set to get underway at 6:35 p.m. at FSU's Beiden Field.