April 18, 2017
San Diego State scored six times over the first three innings and seven Aztec pitchers limited UC Riverside to a run on five hits in a 10-1 victory over the Highlanders Tuesday night at the Riverside Sports Complex. With the win, SDSU improved to 27-11 as it won for the 11th time in its last 13 contests.
The Aztecs got on the board quickly with a run in the bottom of the first. After UCR starter Angel Landazuri got the first two outs on three pitches, Danny Sheehan singled up the middle, stole second and scored on Jordan Verdon's single to left.
SDSU added three runs in the second frame starting with a leadoff home run to right by Chase Calabuig. That was followed by back-to-back singles by Dean Nevarez and Julian Escobedo that put runners at first and third.
After Escobedo stole second, a wild pitch by Landazuri allowed Nevarez to score with Escobedo scoring on David Hensley's ground out to shortstop.
The Highlanders (13-19) responded with a run in the bottom of the second on a one-out solo home run by Michael Farris to make it a 4-1 contest. The homer came against Aztec starter Harrison Pyatt, who would retire the next five batters before ending his evening after three innings.
Over this three innings, the sophomore right-hander allowed the run on two hits with three strikeouts. Pyatt would be credited with the victory to even his record at 2-2 after being designated to toss only three innings before the game started.
Following the UCR home run, Aztec pitchers retired the next the 12 Highlander batters and surrendered only three singles the rest of the way with only one runner reaching as far as second base. Seven hurlers allowed no walks in the contest while striking out 12.
SDSU upped its lead to 6-1 with two more runs in the top of the third. Those markers came on a single by Verdon and a two-run homer by Tyler Adkison. It was the team-leading 11th round tripper of the season for the Aztec left fielder.
San Diego State's seventh run came in the sixth inning with the help of a UCR miscue. Nevarez singled with one out and went to third on a ground ball by Escobedo that was booted by Highlander shortstop Colby Schultz. Hensley then picked up his second RBI of the night with a base hit to center to make it 7-1.
In the top of the ninth, San Diego State loaded the bases with no outs on a single by Alan Trejo and walks to Andrew Brown and Sheehan. UCR, however, got the next two batters on a strikeout and pop up to first. But a wild pitch moved all three runners up a base with Trejo scoring. Nevarez then lined a single to right to drive home Brown and Sheehan for the final 10-1 score line.
Calabuig led the SDSU hitters with four hits on the night with the home run and three RBI. Trejo (run scored, Verdon (RBI, run scored) and Hensley (2 RBI) recorded two hits apiece.
The Aztecs will now face a three-game non-conference series at UC Santa Barbara this weekend. The series against the Gauchos will get underway on Friday, April 21, with a game scheduled to get underway at 6:00 p.m. PT at UCSB's Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.