Feb. 23, 2016
IRVINE, Calif. - San Diego State scored a pair of late runs to break s 2-2 tie and go on to a 4-2 victory over UC Irvine Tuesday evening at Anteater Ballpark. The victory ended SDSU's early-season three-game losing streak as it improve to 1-3. UCI, meanwhile saw its record fall to 2-3.
The Aztecs opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second. Justin Wylie led off with a double to right field and one out later came home on David Hensley's double that fell just indie the line in the left field corner. It was Hensley's third double in four contests this season.
That lead lasted until the fifth inning when the Anteaters scored the tying run. After a leadoff single to left and a bunt single, a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third before Adam Alcantara's sacrifice fly to right knotted the score at 1-1.
The tie was short-lived, however, as freshman Jordan Verdon sent SDSU into a 2-1 lead with a solo home run to right center field in the top of the next frame.
San Diego State starter Harrison Pyatt, a redshirt freshman making his Aztec debut, turned in a solid pitching performance over his five innings of work. He worked five innings allowing a run on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
With Dalton Douty on the mound, the Anteaters answered Verdon's long ball as they back to tie the contest at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. A leadoff double and sacrifice bunt was turned into the tying run on Keston Hiura's sacrifice fly to center field.
San Diego State pushed ahead wat would prove to be the deciding runs in the top of the eighth when it scored twice. Back-to-back doubles by Spencer Thornton and Wylie put the Aztecs up 3-2 before Tyler Adkison's two-out RBI single gave the visitors two-run cushion.
Those markers came against UCI reliever Ben Ritchey, who would take the loss to fall to 0-1. The win went to SDS senior Zack Oakley (1-0) while Brian Heldman recorded his first save of the season.
Justin Wylie (2 doubles, two runs scored) and David Hensley (single, double, RBI) led the SDSU offense along with Verdon's first collegiate home run.
Up next for the Aztecs is a short trip north to Lake Elsinore where they will face the University of San Diego on Thursday, Feb. 25, on The Diamond at 6:00 p.m.