April 29, 2016
Nevada scored six times in the second inning and San Diego State was unable to recover as the Wolf Pack handed the Aztecs an 8-5 loss in the opening contest of their three-game weekend series Friday evening at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The loss was the second of the night for SDSU, which also dropped a 7-6 decision in 11 innings to Nevada in the completion of a suspended game from earlier this month in Reno.
With the pair of losses, San Diego State saw its record fall go 12-28 overall and 5-12 in the Mountain West. Nevada, meanwhile, improved to 21-20 (11-8 MW).
In the regularly scheduled contest, SDSU got on the board first with a run in the opening frame. That came on a single by Justin Wylie, walk to Alan Trejo, and an RBI double by Tyler Adkison.
That 1-0 lead lasted less than an inning, however, as the Wolf Pack answered with a six-run rally in the top of the second. Those six ruins came on five hits (including a pair of doubles and a three-run homer), a walk and a hit batter. All were charged to start Harrison Pyatt, who would take the loss to see his season ledger drop to 0-5.
After the visitors added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to make it an 8-1 contest, the Aztecs tried to get back into contest, but came up short. A triple by Adkison and RBI ground out by David Hensley in the bottom of the sixth made it an 8-2 contest.
SDSU then added three to its total in the next frame on a bases-loaded error by Wolf Pack pitcher Mark Novaczewski, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Trejo to get within three at 8-5. But the scoring ended there with a pair of Nevada relievers shutting down the Aztec offense over the final two frames.
Nevada starter Christian Stolo (3-5) picked up the win with six innings of work during which he allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. Cameron Rowland got the final three outs in the ninth after SDSU had put men at first and second to start the inning. It was Rowland's first save of the season.
Wylie (2 runs scored) and Adkison (triple, RBI, run scored) finished the contest with two hits apiece to lead the Aztec offense.
In the completion of the suspended game, the contest was picked up in the top of the 10th with the score tied at 6-6, Hunter Stratton at second and Alan Trejo at the plate. Nevada hurler Evan McMahan got Trejo to fly out to left to end the threat.
SDSU had a chance to go ahead in the top of the 11th, putting runners at first and third with one out, but McMahan got out of the jam with pop-ups to third and shortstop.
In the bottom of the 11th, the Wolf Pack got a leadoff single followed by a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second. The Aztecs then issued an intentional walk to put men at first and second with one out.
A similar scenario in the bottom of the 10th had worked out for the home side as pitcher Jacob Erickson got a double play to end the inning. Unfortunately for SDSU, in the 11th Nevada catcher Kaleb Foster singled to bring home the winning run from second and end the game in favor of the Wolf Pack.
Erickson would suffer the loss to drop to 3-4 on the season while McMahan, who went the final two innings, got the win to move his record to 3-1.
San Diego State and Nevada will continue their three-game series on Saturday, April 30, with a contest scheduled to get underway at 2:00 p.m. (PT) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.