ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – All nine players in the San Diego State starting lineup recorded either multiple hits or drove in multiple runs as the Aztecs posted a season-high 19 runs and 20 hits in a 19-3 drubbing of New Mexico on Saturday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field. The Aztecs, now winners of eight of their last 10, improve to 13-8 (4-2 Mountain West) on the year while New Mexico falls to 11-11 (3-5 MW).
Joe Fitzhugh led the Aztecs offensively, going 4-for-6 with a double and a home run to lead SDSU with four hits, two extra-base hits, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Fitzhugh established new career-bests in all four of those categories in today's win.
Jaden Fein also posted four hits in a 4-for-4 day at the plate, scoring three runs while driving in three and coming just a home run short of the cycle.
The Aztecs scored in each of the game's first six innings, including a six-run sixth inning that pushed SDSU's lead to 15-2 and featured a two-run RBI single by Fitzhugh, a bases-clearing three-RBI triple by Fein, and a Matt Rudick sacrifice fly.
SDSU put up another crooked number in the eighth, posting four runs after Julian Escobedo drew a bases-loaded walk, and Angelo Armenta drove in a pair on two-RBI single before later scoring on a wild pitch.
Justin Goossen-Brown used 108 pitches over his seven-inning start, keeping the Lobos to just three runs on nine hits while striking out three and walking two. Daniel Ritcheson recorded the final six outs, keeping the Lobos hitless over the eighth and ninth innings. Goossen-Brown maintained his perfect record with his effort, improving to 3-0 on the season.
Chad Bible hit his team-leading third home run of the season in the third, smacking a two-run blast over the left-field wall to extend SDSU's early lead to 5-0.
As a team, the Aztecs went 8-for-17 (.471) with runners in scoring position and 13-for-24 (.542) with runners on base.
The Aztecs tagged Lobo starter Nathaniel Garley, who entered today with a perfect 4-0 record, for seven runs on nine hits over 3.2 innings pitched.
NOTES
- SDSU has won back-to-back regular-season series at New Mexico for the first time since 1989-90. Last year's series win at New Mexico was the Aztecs' first since 2004.
- The Aztecs have won seven of their last nine games in Albuquerque (includes 2017 Mountain West Championships).
- 15 runs scored against New Mexico is the team's most against the Lobos since scoring 28 in a 28-10 win over UNM on May 14, 2005, in Albuquerque. SDSU's 16-run margin of victory over UNM is also the largest since that 28-10 win.
- SDSU's 16-run margin of victory is its largest since defeating UC Riverside 19-1 on April 24, 2018. SDSU's 19 runs are also the most in a single game since that win against UCR.
- SDSU improves to 31-1 in its last 32 games when scoring 10 or more runs.
- SDSU set season-highs in runs (19), at-bats (45), hits (20), RBIs (18), and total bases (32) while tying their season-high in home runs (two).
- SDSU is 8-2 in their last 10 games.
- Matt Rudick extended his team-best hitting streak to a team-best 13 games while extending his team-best on-base streak to 15 games.
UP NEXT
San Diego State looks to finish off a sweep of New Mexico tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. MT. Casey Schmitt is scheduled to start for the Aztecs in the series finale.