March 6, 2016
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - After surrendering an early lead, San Diego State rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and went on to defeat Fresno State, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Freshman Niko Navarro had a clutch two-run single and Justin Wylie knocked in the game-winning run as the Aztecs put an end to a seven-game losing skein.
With the victory, SDSU's record now stands at 2-10 and it improved to 1-2 in Mountain West play. The loss was the first of the season for the Bulldogs, who now own an 11-1 overall mark (2-1 MW).
San Diego State struck early for a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, and it looked like those runs might hold up behind the pitching effort of junior left-hander Brett Seeburger.
In that second inning the Aztecs used a double steal by Spencer Thornton and Jordan Verdon, on at first and third respectively, to open the scoring. Wylie's two-out RBI single then plated Verdon to give the home side the early 2-0 lead.
Seeburger, meanwhile rolled through the first three innings before Fresno State opened the top of the fourth with a single and double to put runners at first and second with no out. But the Aztec hurler then got a popup to short, strikeout and ground out to escape the inning with no runs allowed.
In the next inning, however, the Bulldogs got a run back on a RBI single by Austin Guibor to cut the SDSU advantage in half.
After retiring the side in order in the sixth as well as the first two hitters in the seventh, Seeburger surrendered a single and walk to bring an end to his afternoon on the mound. His final stat line would include 6.2 innings pitched allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and a career-high nine strikeouts.
A walk by reliever Harrison Pyatt loaded the bases before a high line drive to the right side of the infield went off second baseman Wylie's glove with two runs scoring to give FSU its first lead of the day at 3-2. The visitors were gifted a fourth run with two ensuing walks as the Bulldogs took a 4-2 advantage to the bottom of the seventh.
The game turned in the bottom of the eighth as the Aztecs struck for three runs. After Alan Trejo reached on a wild pitch third strike, Dean Nevarez singled to center and Thornton reach on an infield error to load the bases with one out.
Navarro was then called upon to pinch hit and he laced a 1-2 pitch into right field to bring home Trejo and Nevarez to tie the contest. Verdon was hit by pitch to load the bases and Wylie delivered an RBI single to give SDSU the 5-4 lead.
Aztec lefty Jacob Erickson, who had come on to pitch in the seventh, then proceeded to retire the side in order in the top of the ninth to claim the victory and improve to 1-2 on the year. The loss went to Bulldog reliever Dylan Lee (1-1), who was charged with all three of SDSU's eighth-inning runs.
Freshman Dean Nevarez finished the day with three hits and a run scored while Verdon (run scored), Wylie (two RBI) and Chase Calabuig had two singles apiece.
San Diego State will next be in action on Thursday, March 10, when it opens a four-game series against Northwestern with a contest scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start at Tony Gwynn Stadium.