April 12, 2016
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego State was held to five hits, but three of those left the ballpark to help account for five runs as the Aztecs defeated the University of San Diego, 7-3, Tuesday evening at Fowler Park. The win was the third straight and fourth in five games for SDSU, which improved to 10-20 on the season. USD, meanwhile, saw its ledger slip to 18-18.
The Aztecs got solo home runs from David Hensley and Justin Wylie plus a three-run shot by freshman Jordan Verdon, the team's first three home run game of the 2016 campaign.
Jordan got SDSU on the board in the top of the second inning with his leadoff long ball that cleared the left field fence. Later in the frame the Aztecs loaded the bases on consecutive walks to Tyler Adkison, Verdon and Andrew Brown. Hunter Stratton's ground ball to first was then bobbled allowing Adkison to score and give San Diego State a 2-0 lead.
The Aztecs upped their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth. Thornton and Adkison singled and walked respectively to open the frame and were moved up a base by Verdon's sacrifice bunt. Andrew Brown then brought Thornton home with a sacrifice fly to deep left field.
The Toreros cut into the visitors' lead with a run in their half of the fifth before the teams traded runs in the seventh to make it a 4-2 contest. SDSU's run in that seventh inning came on Wylie's two-out long ball to left center field.
With the scene set for a close finish, San Diego State gave itself a cushion by scoring three in the top of the eighth. With Thornton on base via a fielder's choice and Adkison reaching first on a base on balls, Verdon stepped up and smacked a line drive to right that cleared the fence and gave the Aztecs a 7-2 advantage.
USD got a consolation run it its final at bat on a solo home run by Kevin Collard, but SDSU reliever Brian Heldman got the final out on a fly ball to right to nail down the victory.
The win went to senior right-hander Dalton Douty (1-0), who had come on in the fifth in relief of starter Dominic Purpura. Douty tossed two innings, allowing a run on one hit and retiring six of the seven batters he faced.
The loss went to USD's Jonathan Teaney (1-1), who had surrendered SDSU's two runs in the second.
Spencer Thornton was the lone Aztec with more than one hit in the contest as he recorded a single, a double and scored twice. Tyler Adkison reached base three times on walks and scored a pair of runs.
Up next for San Diego State is a trip to the Lone Star state where they will play a three-game series against No. 10 Texas Tech in Lubbock. The first contest of that set is scheduled for Friday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. (CT) at the Red Raiders' Dan Law Field.