SAN DIEGO – San Diego State won its third straight with a 7-2 triumph over No. 17/17 Long Beach State in a non-conference game Tuesday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Mike Jarvis (two RBI), Casey Schmitt (two runs), Anthony Walters and Brian Leonhardt finished with two hits apiece for the Aztecs, who also utilized four pitchers on the night, giving up just two unearned runs to raise their record to 9-4 overall.
With the victory, the Scarlet and Black has captured three straight against the Dirtbags and has won 10 of its last 13 games against Big West opponents.
Conversely, LBSU squandered some early scoring opportunities, stranding seven runners in the first three innings and 10 for the game to slip to 8-4 on the season.
SDSU plated two unearned runs in the first when Jarvis scored on Matt Rudick's sacrifice fly, while Schmitt raced home on Walters' RBI single. Previously, Jarvis was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Shortly thereafter, Schmitt reached on a throwing error and stole second as well following a strikeout.
The Aztecs executed a classic hit-and-run in the second after Fein drew a one-out walk and motored around to third on Leonhardt's single through the right side. Moments later, Jarvis knocked in Fein with a sacrifice fly to left, increasing the host school's advantage to 3-0.
Later in the fourth, Jarvis and Schmitt contributed RBI singles to give SDSU some additional breathing room, while Fein led off the sixth with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field, which upped the lead to 6-0.
LBSU finally broke through with two unearned runs on two hits in the seventh, all with two outs. Leonard Jones reached on a fielding error and advanced on Connor Kokx's ensuing single, ultimately taking home when the throw from the outfield went awry during his head-first slide into third. Kokx, who moved to second on the play, promptly scored on Aidan Malm's single to right.
However, the Aztecs closed out the scoring with a run in their half of the frame when Schmitt led off with a double and later touched home on Jacob Cruce's hot smash past the first baseman that also went for extra bases.
Freshman right-hander Ricky Tibbett (1-0) pitched three innings of relief to earn his first collegiate victory despite allowing the aforementioned runs after taking over for Leonhardt, who tossed four scoreless innings in his second straight start on the mound, yielding just two hits and two walks. In addition, Tre Brown struck out the side in the eighth before Avery Jones came in to work the ninth.
The Dirtbags loaded the bases in the first on a single, a hit batter and a walk, but Leonhardt fought himself off the ropes with a swinging strikeout of Santino Rivera to end the inning.
Leonhardt also faced peril in the third after hitting two batters, while another got aboard on a fielding error. However, the SDSU lefty induced a flyout to get out of the jam.
Making his first career start for LBSU, freshman Jake Rons (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks in three innings, while reliever Jonathan Lavallee was tagged for two runs on four hits in his subsequent three-inning stint.
San Diego State will return to action this weekend for a three-game series at No. 11/15 Oklahoma, March 6-8, at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Oklahoma.