April 13, 2018
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State baseball team defeated Cal State Fullerton, 6-3, at Tony Gwynn Stadium on Friday night to snap the Titans' six-game winning streak and improve to 22-12 on the season. CSF falls to 16-16 on the season.
The Aztecs jumped on CSF ace Colton Eastman early with a three-run first inning, including a two-run home run by Chase Calabuig and a wild pitch that allowed Jordan Verdon to score.
Eastman settled into his outing after the Aztecs first-inning three-spot, allowing just two hits the following six innings, allowing CSF to cut SDSU's lead to just 3-2.
The Aztecs were quick to grab some insurance in the bottom of the eighth when the Titans made a move to the bullpen, posting a three-run, three-hit frame off Titan reliever Blake Workman. Julian Escobedo drove home Calabuig on a single to start the scoring in the bottom of the eighth, and in the next two at-bats, Chad Bible drove in Escobedo on a well-hit triple into the gap in right-center and came around to score after Casey Schmitt singled through the right side of the infield.
Harrison Pyatt allowed just one run over four innings of work in his return to the weekend rotation. After Pyatt got into a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the top of the fifth, Jacob Erickson came on and stranded all three of his inherited runners, inducing a 5-2 fielder's choice and a 6-3 double play to end the threat and preserve SDSU's 3-1 lead.
Erickson earned his third win of the season, pitching three innings with three hits and one run allowed while striking out a pair and walking none.
Casey Schmitt notched his second save of the season, retiring each of the game's final two batters, including a game-ending strikeout against Titan three-hitter Ruben Cardenas.
Jordan Verdon and Schmitt led the Aztecs, with each going 2-for-4 at the plate.
NOTES
- San Diego State won its third consecutive game against Cal State Fullerton, marking the first time since 1968 that the Aztecs have defeated the Titans in three consecutive meetings.
- SDSU is 6-1 in its last seven non-conference games.
- SDSU improves to 22-7 against Big West programs since the start of the 2017 season. SDSU is 8-3 against BW teams in 2018.
- SDSU won its 69th consecutive game when leading after eight innings.
- Chase Calabuig reached base for the 37th consecutive home game. Over home games this season, Calabuig is hitting a team-best .375 with team-highs in home runs (3), RBIs (16), doubles (11), slugging percentage (.653) and on-base percentage (.413).
- The Aztecs improved to 23-9 all-time when playing on Friday the 13th.
- Harrison Pyatt turned in a strong outing in his start Friday, allowing five hits and one run over four innings pitched. On the season, SDSU starting pitching owns a 3.32 ERA and a .207 opponent batting average at home and have struck out 94 batters in 84 innings pitched.
- David Hensley reached base for the 27th consecutive game, good for the longest streak since by an Aztec since the start of the 2016 season.
- Three different players (David Hensley, Casey Schmitt, Sean Ross) have both logged time on the mound and in the batter's box this season. When those players both pitch and hit in the same game, the trio is collectively hitting .394 while posting an ERA of 0.61.
- Over his last 12 innings pitched when starting, Harrison Pyatt has allowed just two runs and six hits with five walks and nine strikeouts. In the previous 12 innings pitched prior to that run, Pyatt had allowed 11 runs to score on 10 hits with eight walks and 13 strikeouts.
- All nine players in the SDSU starting lineup reached base.
- SDSU has committed just one error over its last three games, tied for the best over a three-game stretch this season. SDSU is 8-4 this year when not committing an error.
- The Aztecs are 17-5 when scoring first this season and 12-3 when scoring in the first inning.
- SDSU relievers stranded all four of its inherited runners Friday night. On the year, SDSU has stranded 77 of its 111 inherited runners on the year, including Jacob Erickson's effort in tight situations this year having stranded 14 of his 20 inherited runners in 2018.
UP NEXT
SDSU and CSF continue its three-game series tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. The first 500 fans in attendance at baseball or softball will receive a free Aztec hat. RHP Garrett Hill (6-1, 1.47) looks to continue the strong start to his 2018 campaign and the Titans will send RHP Tommy Wilson (3-0, 3.29 ER) to the mound.