ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – San Diego State opened its Mountain West weekend series in style on Thursday with a 10-3 triumph over New Mexico at Santa Ana Star Field.
The Aztecs (8-25, 2-14 MW) banged out 18 hits on the evening to snap a four-game losing streak and defeat the Lobos (14-19, 6-10 MW) for the third meeting in a row dating back to last year and the sixth time in the last seven games between the two squads.
SDSU banged out 18 hits, highlighted by Shaun Montoya's career-best 4-for-4 performance, while Tino Bethancourt collected a season-high three hits of his own, followed by Johnny Giannola, Brian Leonhardt, Caden Miller and Poncho Ruiz, who finished with two apiece.
In addition, the Aztecs received another solid outing from starting pitcher Troy Melton, who evened his record at 2-2 on the year after giving up two runs on nine hits and one walks while striking out seven hitters in 7.0 innings.
SDSU, which entered the series leading the conference in stolen bases, did not make any attempts on Thursday. Instead, the Scarlet and Black used the long ball to build a 2-0 lead it would not relinquish, as Brian Leonhardt and Johnny Giannola hit back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the second.
The Aztecs increased their advantage to 4-0 with two additional markers in the third when Montoya scored from third after Irvin Weems reached on a throwing error, while Cole Carrigg raced home on a wild pitch. Previously, Montoya led off with a double to left center and moved around to third when Carrigg beat out an infield hit to first. Moments later, Carrigg circled around to third on Weems' slow chopper near the third-base line that was handled by Willie Cano, whose throw to first pulled Kyle Landers widely off the bag.
UNM finally broke through with a run in its half of the third when Sean Stephens crossed the plate on Lenny Junior Ashby's sacrifice fly to deep right field.
However, SDSU gave itself some additional breathing room in the fourth, thanks to Montoya, who singled in pinch runner Max Foxcroft with a perfect squeeze bunt, while Miller darted home on Carrigg's sacrifice fly to left, providing the visitors a 6-1 cushion. Earlier, Bethancourt was lifted temporarily for concussion protocol after being struck by a pitch, as Foxcroft entered and took third on Miller's single to left center.
The Lobos put runners at first and third in their half of the fourth on consecutive hits by Landers and Kamron Willman. However, Melton minimized the damage to just one run, inducing a double-play grounder to Cano, which plated Landers, before getting Cody Holtz to fly out.
Leading 6-2, the Aztecs essentially put the game out of reach in the sixth when Bethancourt led off with a double to right center and scored on Montoya's single up the middle, while Ruiz followed with his fourth homer of the year, a two-run shot over the fence in left, which gave the Scarlet and Black a commanding 9-2 advantage.
The teams traded runs in the late innings, as Braydon Runion scored on Willman's double down the left-field line in the bottom of the eighth, while Bethancourt plated Leonhardt in the ninth with a single up the middle.
UNM starter Riley Egloff (4-4) after surrendering seven runs on 10 hits against four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, while Aaron Makil went the rest of the way, yielding three runs on eight hits while posting a pair of strikeouts.
Willman totaled three of the Lobos' 11 hits, while Landers finished with two in the loss.
Jonny Guzman pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for SDSU, offsetting one walk with one strikeout after relieving Jacob Flores with two outs in the eighth.
San Diego State will battle New Mexico in game two of its weekend series at Santa Ana Star Field on Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT.
Aztecs Thunder Past New Mexico, 10-3
