April 9, 2016
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Back-to-back home runs by Spencer Thornton and Tyler Adkison in the eighth inning broke a 7-7 deadlock and sent San Diego State on its way to a 9-7 victory over UNLV Saturday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium. With the win the Aztecs moved their record to 8-20 overall and 3-8 in the Mountain West.
SDSU opened the contest with a double and two singles, but were only able to cash in for one run in the bottom of the first. The Rebels answered a couple innings later by scoring twice in the top of the fourth to go up 2-1.
The Aztecs answered immediately, tying the game in the bottom of the same inning with a run to make it 2-2. Andrew Brown reached in an error and a single by Justin Wylie put men at first and second with two out. The pair then attempted a double steal, and when the catcher's throw to third went down the left field line Brown scored to tie the game.
UNLV (12-18, 5-9 MW) went ahead again, however, with a run in its half of the fifth, but SDSU countered that in the bottom of the frame when David Hensley doubled and came home on Jordan Verdon's two-out RBI two-bagger to tie it at 3-3.
From that point, the Rebels appeared to take control as they scored four times over the ensuing two frames to go up 7-3.
But the Aztecs showed they had some life left in them as they rallied for four in the bottom of the seventh to tie even the score at 7-7. That four-run outburst was fueled by a sacrifice fly by Thornton, an RBI single by Brown and a two-run double by Justin Wylie.
After a pair of fly outs to begin the bottom of the eighth, Thornton hit the first pitch he saw over the right center field fence to give SDSU its first lead since the fourth inning. It was the senior's third home run of the season. Adkison followed by driving a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for his team-leading fourth homer of 2016.
Both of those long balls came off Rebel reliever Tevita Gerber, who would take the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year.
SDSU freshman Chris Collins, who had come on to start the top of the seventh, finished off the game by retiring the side in order in the ninth to pick up the win and improve to 2-0.
Wylie (2 doubles, single, walk, 2 RBI) and Hensley (double, run scored) ended the day with three hits apiece. In the process they improved their season batting averages to .310 and .314 respectively.
San Diego State and UNLV will play the rubber game of their three-game weekend series on Sunday (April 10) at 1:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.