CONWAY, S.C. – San Diego State erupted for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to key its 7-5 season-opening victory over Virginia Tech in the first game of the Brittain Resorts Baseball by the Beach event on the campus of Coastal Carolina University.
Matt Rudick belted a three-run homer to spark the rally, while Anthony Walters added a clutch two-run double in the eighth, propelling the Aztecs (1-0) their fourth straight victory on opening day.
Rudick and Walters finished with two hits apiece, joining Wyatt Hendrie and Ryan Orr, while Jacob Flores (1-0) picked up the victory after pitching 3 2/3 scoreless innings, tying his career-high with five strikeouts in relief of starter Michael Paredes. Casey Schmitt came on to work the final two frames for the save despite yielding a run in the ninth.
The Hokies (0-1) drew first blood in their first trip to the plate after Gavin Cross delivered an RBI single, which brought home Spencer Palmer.
Later in the second, Virginia Tech extended its lead when Palmer drove in Brennan Reback and Tanner Thomas with a two-out double to right center before increasing the margin to 4-0 with an unearned run in the fourth.
In the pivotal seventh, SDSU led off with consecutive walks by Caden Miller and Mike Jarvis, which chased Virginia Tech reliever Peyton Alford, who took over for starter Chris Gerard with one out in the sixth. Virginia Tech summoned Jaison Heard to the mound, but Rudick gave him a rude welcome on the first pitch with a home run to right field.
Sprinkled among a pair of flyouts, the Aztecs soon loaded the bases when Brian Leonhardt walked, Orr reached on an error and Hendrie was hit by a pitch. Nathan Starliper took over for Heard to face pinch-hitter TJ Fondtain, but the SDSU freshman plated Leonhardt with an infield hit to tie the score. Moments later, the Scarlet and Black took the lead for good when Miller drew another walk to bring home Orr.
The Aztecs padded their lead in the eighth when Walters stroked a crucial two-run double to left on a 1-1 count, driving in David Alamillo and Orr, who previously reached base with two outs on a walk and fielding error, respectively.
The Hokies narrowed the gap in the ninth on Kevin Madden's RBI single, but Schmitt struck out Cross and induced a groundout to Carson Jones, sandwiched around a Nick Biddison single to preserve the win.
Schmitt finished with three strikeouts in his outing to secure his 18th career save and move into sole possession of fifth place on the Aztecs' all-time list in that category.
Six players finished with two hits apiece for the Hokies, as the two teams combined to strand 23 runners for the day.
Gerard scattered seven hits and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings, while his Aztec counterpart Paredes allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk in 3 1/3 innings before giving way to Flores.
San Diego State remains in the Palmetto State to face Coastal Carolina on Saturday, starting at 3 p.m. ET/Noon PT. Aztec sophomore Troy Melton is scheduled to take the mound against the Chanticleers' Scott Kobos.