May 11, 2018
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State baseball team dropped a 3-2 decision with San Jose State in its series opener at Tony Gwynn Stadium Friday night. SDSU was officially the away team, as Friday's contest was officially a makeup game from a postponed game in San Jose on March 2.
With UNLV defeating Nevada 8-7 in 11 innings on Friday night the Aztecs remain two games back of the Wolf Pack for first place in the Mountain West standings.
San Diego State struck first offensively, using a Jacob Maekawa two-out RBI single to score Julian Escobedo for an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
The early lead was shortlived, however, with the Spartans posting three-run, three-hit bottom of the third. SDSU was able to chip away with a run in the seventh, as Matt Rudick led off the frame with a triple down the right-field line before scoring on a Chase Calabuig RBI single.
SDSU had the tying run on base in the top of the ninth after Rudick hit a two-out single through the middle of the infield. SJSU closer Finn Del Bonta-Smith halted SDSU's last-chance effort at a comeback after forcing David Hensley into a game-ending flyout to right field.
Harrison Pyatt was dealt his third loss of the season, allowing six hits and two earned runs over five innings pitched.
Jacob Erickson impressed out of the bullpen, pitching three shutout innings of relief with only one hit allowed. Erickson struck out four Spartans while not surrendering a walk.
Calabuig led the Aztecs offensively, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Rudick also contributed a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5 with a run scored.
NOTES
- San Diego State suffers its first loss against San Jose State since May 20, 2016, snapping a nine-game winning streak when SDSU plays SJSU.
- Entering tomorrow, SDSU is 13-2 in games following a loss.
- SDSU had its season-best five-game home winning streak snapped.
- SDSU is 8-2 in its last 10 games. Both losses over that span have come by a one-run margin.
- SDSU falls to 12-6 in one-run games this season.
- Chase Calabuig extended his home on-base streak to 48 games (extends Tony Gwynn Stadium record), his on-base streak to 19 games (best active streak on the team), and his hitting streak to eight games (best active streak on the team). - Julian Escobedo extended his on-base streak to 13 games and his Mountain West on-base streak to a team season-best 20 games.
- Chase Calabuig posted his team-high 25th multi-hit performance after going 3-for-4 on Friday. 14 of Calabuig's 25 multi-hit games have come in conference play, which is also a team-high.
- The San Diego State bullpen has allowed one earned run over its last eight conference games (31.1 innings pitched), good for a 0.29 earned run average.
UP NEXT
San Diego State and San Jose State will play a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow. Justin Goossen-Brown will get the ball for the Aztecs in the first game before Garrett Hill takes the mound in the nightcap.