May 26, 2016
San Diego State scored nine times in the top of the eighth inning to break open a close contest and went on to defeat UNLV, 18-8, in an elimination game at the 2016 Mountain West Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M. With the win the Aztecs improve to 21-37 and stay alive in the double elimination event. UNLV, meanwhile, saw its season come to an end with a record of 24-32.
The game began similarly to last night's contest against Nevada as SDSU plated three runs in the top of the first inning. This time it was a two-out single by Alan Trejo, RBI double by Tyler Adkison, RBI single by Spencer Thornton and a run scoring single by David Hensley that gave the Aztecs a quick 3-0 lead.
After the Wolf Pack responded by scoring two times in the bottom of the inning, the Aztecs scored twice over the next three frames while Nevada added three to make it a 5-5 contest after four innings.
San Diego State took the lead for good in the top of the fifth as Thornton hit his team-leading seventh home run, a solo shot to right, to put the Aztecs up 6-5.
SDSU increased its lead to 7-5 with another run in the top of the sixth, this time on a double to right center by Verdon and RBI single up the middle by Justin Wylie.
By the end of the fifth, both starting pitchers were out of the game. UNLV's Kenny Oakley went the first five allowing six runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He would take the loss and see his record drop to 4-9 on the season.
Aztecs starting hurler Brett Seeburger, meanwhile, tossed the opening four frames surrendering five runs on eight hits with no walks and two strikeouts. The junior left-hander would not be involved in the final decision.
Aztec reliever Jacob Erickson would eventually be credited with the victory after tossing three shutout innings over the middle portion of the game. In those three frames he allowed no runs on three hits while walking a pair. With the win he improved his record to 4-6.
Clinging to a 7-5 advantage, San Diego State broke the game open with a nine-run eighth inning. The Aztecs sent 13 men to the plate, using nine hits and a pair of Rebel errors to up their lead to 16-5.
Highlights of the inning included a two-run homer by Verdon, who also had a single and scored twice in the frame, plus a two-RBI triple by Adkison. The Aztec also got RBI from Wylie, Calabuig, Trejo, and Denz'l Chapman during that offensive outburst.
UNLV did add three to its total in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Adkison's two-run home run to left in the top of the ninth gave SDSU its final10-run margin of victory.
All nine Aztec starters ended the day with at least one hit while eight of the nine scored at least once and drove in a minimum of one run.
Verdon finished the contest with four hits including a double and home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Adkison came up a single short of hitting for the cycle as he had a double, triple and home run along with five RBI and four runs scored.
Wylie added three hits with two RBI and a run while Thornton had two hits, two RBI and three runs scored.
San Diego State now moves on to its next elimination contest scheduled for Friday, May 27, at 11:00 a.m. Their opponent will be the lowest seeded losing team from today's other two contests (No. 1 Fresno State vs. No. 5 Air Force and No. 2 New Mexico vs. No. 3 Nevada).