USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – San Diego State continued its offensive barrage on Sunday with a 20-13 conquest of Air Force in the finale of a three-game series at Falcon Field. With the victory, the Aztecs secured the weekend sweep of the Falcons after posting a 13-10 triumph in the completion of Saturday's game two, which was suspended in the eighth inning the previous evening due to darkness.
As a result, SDSU (28-15, 20-13 MW) finds itself firmly in second place in the Mountain West race, keeping the pressure on front-running Nevada (21-18, 18-9 MW) with one weekend remaining in the regular season. The Aztecs will travel to New Mexico for a three-game series (May 28-29), while the Wolf Pack play host to San José State in a four-game set (May 28-30).
The conference is expected to reveal detailed tiebreaking and clinching scenarios early this week.
San Diego State, which never trailed Air Force during the entire weekend, set season highs for a three-game series this season, combining for 50 runs on 58 hits, including 22 for extra bases. In addition, the Aztecs tied a program record with eight doubles in Sunday's victory.
Ironically, the last time the Scarlet and Black recorded eight two-baggers occurred at Air Force as well on March 22, 2003, in an 18-4 romp. SDSU logged eight doubles on three additional occasions vs. Air Force (5/13/90), Utah (5/17/88) and Wyoming (4/30/87).
On Sunday, five Aztecs finished with three or more hits, as the Scarlet and Black matched its season high with 23 on the afternoon. Individually, Poncho Ruiz led the way with four hits, followed by Mike Jarvis, Wyatt Hendrie, Jacob Cruce and Carson Matthews with three each.
In addition, four SDSU players collected three or more RBIs, including a career-best five from Cruce, who smacked his first grand slam in an Aztec uniform, while Ruiz, Hendrie (4 runs) and Jaden Fein (4 runs) drove three apiece.
San Diego State scored in every inning except the fourth and sixth, highlighted by a five-spot in the second to build a 7-1 advantage. The Aztecs sent 10 hitters to the plate in the frame, chasing Falcon starter Stevan Fairburn Jr. (5-5). Matthews sparked the onslaught with an RBI double, while Jarvis and Ruiz added run-scoring singles. In addition, Caden Miller touched the plate on Matt Rudick's sacrifice fly, while Jarvis raced home on a Hendrie groundout.
SDSU padded its lead on Ruiz's two-run single in the fourth before Cruce stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth and launched a 2-1 offering from reliever CJ Dornak out of the park to give the visitors a seemingly comfortable 13-1 cushion.
The Aztecs plated three additional markers in the seventh, as Matthews and Miller each ripped an RBI double, while Carrigg scored on a balk by reliever Ben Hauser.
However, the Falcons combined for 12 runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to pull into contention. Air Force sent 12 men to the plate in the seventh, scoring five runs on three hits while capitalizing on four walks and a passed ball. Jay Thomason collected the big hit with a three-run double, while Gabriel Garcia added an RBI single, and Sam Kulasingam drew a bases-loaded walk.
SDSU reliever Avery Jones (1-0) entered at this juncture and prevented further damage by inducing a groundout to Tommy Gillman. Jones was the last of five Aztec pitchers on the day and was the most effective, earning his second career victory and first of the season after keeping the Falcons off the scoreboard over the final 2 1/3 innings during which he posted two strikeouts against one hit.
In the meantime, Fein put any notion of an Air Force comeback to rest with a three-run homer in the eighth, while Hendrie's sacrifice fly in the ninth closed out the slugfest.
Brian Leonhardt started for SDSU, yielding five runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts in four innings before giving way to Ricky Tibbett, Joseph Ingrassia and Nate Hansen in succession.
The Falcons' Paul Skenes (4 RBIs) led all players with five hits, while Garcia and Cole Blatchford had three apiece in the loss.
In the completion of the suspended game, neither team scored in the eighth inning when play resumed as San Diego State held an 11-7 lead. The Aztecs soon struck with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth, however, as Matthews scored on Hendrie's single up the middle, while Jarvis scored on a wild pitch.
Leading 13-7, Air Force made things interesting in their half of the frame, as Kulasingam scored on Thomason's pinch-hit single, while Cayden Zimmerman smacked a two-run homer as a pinch hitter as well. However, SDSU reliever Tre Brown received a groundout from Christian Gambale to end the game.
Despite giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts, Christian Winston (3-2) picked up the victory with three innings of middle relief after entering for Troy Melton to start the fifth.
The Aztecs out-hit the Falcons 16-14, with Rudick and Hendrie (3 RBIs) leading the way with three hits apiece.
San Diego State heads to the Land of Enchantment next weekend to battle New Mexico in another crucial three-game series (May 28-29). The teams will square off in a doubleheader on Friday before locking horns in a single game on Saturday.