May 24, 2018
SAN DIEGO -- Led by a two-run seventh inning, a quality start from SDSU right-hander Garrett Hill, and 2.1 innings of perfect relief by Jacob Erickson, the San Diego State baseball team opened the Mountain West Baseball Championships with a 2-1 win over No. 3-seeded San Jose State on Thursday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
In a battle of the two Mountain West Co-Pitchers of the Year, the game lived up to the hype of a pitcher's duel as SJSU posted the game's only run in the first six and a half frames in the top of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.
Garrett Hill recorded one of his best starts of the season, allowing five hits and one run over 6.1 innings of work while retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced.
A one-out single to Spartan designated hitter Chris Williams ended Hill's night, but opened the door to a spectacular performance from Jacob Erickson, who retired all seven batters he faced and left Williams stranded at first base to set up SDSU's bottom of the seventh.
The Aztecs worked its way into the SJSU bullpen, as Co-Pitcher of the Year Andrew Mitchel finished his outing with 6.1 innings, four hits, nine strikeouts, and two runs allowed that were scored as inherited runners against Finneas Del Monta-Smith.
Dean Nevarez led off the top of the seventh with a double off the wall in left-centerfield and later advanced to third on an infield single by Jacob Maekawa. Both of those runners proved to pay dividends for the Aztecs, as Nevarez scored two batters later on a one-out sacrifice fly by David Hensley and Chase Calabuig posted a go-ahead, two-out RBI single to score Maekawa and give SDSU a 2-1 edge.
Calabuig, Maekawa, Nevarez, Julian Escobedo and Chad Bible all recorded one hit each.
Game Notes
- SDSU won for the third time this season when trailing after six innings (3-13).
- The Aztecs are 14-6 in one-run games in 2018.
- This marked the first time this season SDSU has won a game played on Thursday.
- San Diego State tied a season-low for hits with five. Amazingly, the Aztecs have won twice when collecting five hits (also March 9 vs. Air Force).
Team Notes
- SDSU is now 21-6 in the Mountain West tourney since 2013.
- The Aztecs have won four of the five league tournaments during that span.
- San Diego State extends its MW tournament record win total to 48.
- The Aztecs win their third straight Mountain West Conference tourney opening game.
- San Diego State improves to 23-10 at Tony Gwynn Stadium this season.
- SDSU won its 84th consecutive game when leading after eight innings.
- The Aztecs have now gone 20 home games without dropping consecutive games.
- SDSU (entered today with a two-game losing streak) has now gone 137 straight games without suffering a three-game losing streak.
- The Aztecs last dropped three-straight games from April 29-May 1, 2016.
- SDSU snaps the Spartans three-game winning streak.
Series Notes
- This marked the second time in 13 days that SDSU defeated the Spartans by a score of 2-1 at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
-The Aztecs are 12-2 in their last 14 games against the Spartans.
-San Diego State improves to 3-0 against the Spartans in MW tourney play.
- SDSU leads the all-time series, 76-32 and lead the all-time series at home, 44-14.
Head Coach Mark Martinez
- In his fourth season, claims his 141st victory as a head coach (35.3 wins per season).
-Owns a 16-5 record in the MW tourney as the head coach.
Senior RF Chase Calabuig
1-for-2, GW RBI
- Reached base in 52 consecutive home games (Tony Gwynn Stadium record).
- Increased season batting average to a team-best .360.
- Reached base three times with a base hit, walk and hit by pitch.
-Tonight's GW RBI marked the 125th career RBI of his career.
- Has seven RBI in seven games against San Jose State this season.
Senior LHP Jacob Erickson
Win, 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
- Made his MW and SDSU record and NCAA leading 118th career appearance.
- Recorded the final eight outs without allowing a hit or a walk.
- Improved to 3-0 in Mountain West Tournament play.
- This season against the Spartans, he has allowed two earned runs in 12.1 IP.
Junior RHP Garrett Hill
6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
- Produced his longest outing since going 6.2 against Air Force on April 7.
- SDSU improves to 11-3 in his starts in 2018.
- The five hits allowed were his fewest in an outing since a three-hit, 8.1 IP performance against New Mexico on March 31.
- Has not suffered a loss in his last five appearances (four starts).
- Retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced.
UP NEXT
No. 2 seed SDSU hosts No. 4-seeded UNLV tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. in a winner's bracket matchup. RHP Harrison Pyatt will make the start for SDSU against UNLV's RHP Trevor Horn.