March 28, 2016
CORVALLIS, Ore. - In a game that went back and forth between the two teams, Aztec shortstop Alan Trejo had the last word as his solo home run in the top of the ninth sent San Diego State to a 6-5 victory over No. 6 Oregon State at Goss Stadium in Corvallis Monday evening.
With their second consecutive win, the Aztecs improved to 6-16 on the year while Oregon State saw its record fall to 16-6 after it dropped its fourth straight contest.
San Diego State got on the board first with a run in the top of the second on a solo home run by Spencer Thornton, his second of the season. The Beavers, however, wasted little time in responding as Kyle Nobach's homer in the bottom of the same frame to give the home side a 2-1 lead.
It was then SDSU's turn as it plated three runs in its half of the third to go up 4-2. It all happened with two out as the Aztecs loaded the bases and tied the game on a wild pitch. Tyler Adkison's ensuing single scored two more and San Diego State had a 4-2 lead.
Again, however, that advantage was short-lived as another two-run homer, this one by KJ Harrison in the bottom of the third, tied the contest at 4-4.
The score would remain that way over the next three frames with both starting pitchers departing the contest during that period. SDSU junior lefty Marcus Reyes would go 4.1 innings allowing the four runs on six hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts while OSU's Bryce Fehmel turned in 5.2 innings while surrendering four runs on eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
Oregon State grabbed the lead in the bottom of the seventh when it scored on a single, balk and two-out triple take the lead at 5-4.
SDSU countered that run with one of its own in the next inning when Hunter Stratton's safety squeeze bunt turned into an infield hit and scored Jordan Verdon from third to knot the game at 5-5.
It was then Trejo's moment to shine as he led off the top of the ninth with a shot over the left field fence for what proved to be the game-winning run. It was Trejo's first round-tripper of the 2016 campaign.
Senior right-hander Brian Heldman then retired the Beavers in order in the bottom of the inning to secure the victory and nail down his second save of the season. Aztec junior lefty Jacob Erickson, who had come on with a runner at first and no outs in the bottom of the eighth, was credited with the win to even his record at 2-2.
San Diego State and Oregon State will conclude their brief two-game series with a contest on Tuesday, March 29, set to get underway at 5:35 p.m. (PT) in Corvallis.