May 13, 2018
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State baseball team fell in 10 innings against San Jose State, dropping a 6-4 decision at Tony Gwynn Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Spartans started its offensive production quickly, scoring a single run in both the first and second innings for an early 2-0 lead. The Aztecs reciprocated the effort in the third and fourth innings, using a David Hensley sacrifice fly and a Julian Escobedo RBI double to knot the game at 2-2.
An inning after the Aztecs tied things up, SJSU's Johnny Mendoza hit a two-run home run for a 4-2 Spartan lead in the top of the fifth.
The Aztecs used a long ball of its own in the bottom of the seventh to kickstart a late-inning comeback, as Dean Nevarez launched his sixth home run of the season over the centerfield wall to cut SJSU's lead to 4-3. Later in the inning, Matt Rudick delivered the game-tying blow with an RBI single to centerfield scoring Jacob Maekawa.
Jacob Erickson shined in relief to allow the Aztecs to tie the game in the late stages, as the senior left-hander retired 12 batters in a row before allowing a leadoff single in the top of the 10th.
SDSU was a mere inches away from walking off winners in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Chase Calabuig rocketed a ground ball at SJSU pitcher Finneas Del Monta-Smith, who picked Calabuig's would-be game-winning hit off the ground to record the 1-3 putout and strand SDSU runners at first and second.
It was Mendoza again providing run production for the Spartans in the top of the 10th inning, as his fourth and fifth RBIs of the day came courtesy of a line drive base hit into right field for a 6-4 Spartan advantage.
Erickson was dealt the tough-luck loss, allowing two runs on three hits over 4.1 innings with three strikeouts. Casey Schmitt's only hit allowed over his one inning pitched was Mendoza's game-winning knock that allowed two inherited runners to score.
SDSU starter Jorge Fernandez finished his outing with 4.2 innings pitched, allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
Offensively, Maekawa led the Aztecs reaching base in all four of his plate appearances, while Rudick contributed a multi-hit showing with a 2-for-4 performance out of the leadoff spot. Eight of nine Aztecs in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit.
NOTES
- San Diego State falls to 11-2 in its last 13 games against San Jose State. The Aztecs have outscored the Spartans 84-35 over that span.
- SDSU suffers its first loss in a series finale in the 2018 season. Entering the weekend, SDSU's streak of 11 consecutive wins in series finales was the longest active streak in the nation. SDSU also falls to 12-2 on Sundays this season (SDSU's 12-1 record on Sunday entering today was the record on a single day of the week in the nation).
- Chase Calabuig reached base in his 51st consecutive home game, extending the Tony Gwynn Stadium record. Calabuig also extended his on-base streak to 22 games and his hitting streak to 11 games.
- Julian Escobedo extended his on-base streak to 14 games and his Mountain West on-base streak to 22 games.
UP NEXT
San Diego State enters next weekend's series against first-place Nevada 1.5 games back in the race for first place. SDSU and Nevada will kick off its three-game set Thursday, May 17, at 6:00 p.m.