RENO, Nev. – Complementing the arm of starting pitcher Troy Melton with some explosive hitting, San Diego State rolled to a big 13-1 victory on Friday in the opener of a three-game Mountain West series at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park.
In his fourth start of the 2022 campaign, Melton (1-1) gave up just one unearned run on four hits and one walk while striking out six batters in a season-long 7.0 innings for his first win of the year.
Offensively, the Aztecs (6-19, 1-9 MW) banged out a season-high 18 hits, highlighted by Brian Leonhardt's second career grand slam in the fifth that helped snap a four-game losing streak for the Scarlet and Black.
In addition, Poncho Ruiz established a career best with four hits, as all nine SDSU batters recorded at least one base knock. Not to be outdone, Trevor Hazelhurst collected a season-high three hits, while Leonhardt, Caden Miller, Shaun Montoya and Xavier Carter finished with two apiece.
Hazelhurst and Carter also set career bests with three runs scored apiece.
San Diego State never trailed in the contest after grabbing a 2-0 lead in the second. Leonhardt set the tone with a one-out double to right that plated Carter, while Miller followed with a run-scoring single to the opposite field in left.
The Aztecs padded their cushion in the third when Ruiz led off with a double down the left-field line, advanced on a groundout and later scored on Tyler Glowacki's sacrifice fly.
SDSU ultimately broke the game open in the fifth, scoring five runs on three hits off Nevada starter Peyton Stumbo. After Ruiz and Cole Carrigg smacked consecutive doubles, Hazelhurst and Carter drew consecutive walks following a groundout to load the bases. Leonhardt then stepped to the plate and cranked a 1-0 offering over the fence in right to give the Scarlet and Black an insurmountable 8-0 advantage.
The Wolf Pack (11-13, 5-4 MW) scored their only run in the bottom of the frame when Matt Clayton reached on a dropped fly ball near the right-field line and subsequently raced home on Ryan Jackson's single up the middle.
Undaunted, the Aztecs tallied single markers in the sixth and seventh, respectively, as Montoya touched the plate on a double-play grounder, while Hazelhurst went yard for the second time this year with a mammoth solo shot off the scoreboard in right center, giving the visitors a commanding 10-1 lead.
SDSU kept the wheels churning with three additional runs in the ninth. After Glowacki and Hazelhurst reached on consecutive one-out singles, Carter promptly doubled down the right-field line, while Max Foxcroft laced a two-run single moments later to account for the 13-1 final score.
In his first start of the season, Stumbo (4-1) absorbed the loss after yielding nine runs on 13 hits and two walks against only three strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
Jacob Flores took over for Melton in the eighth and gave up just one hit in the final two frames.
San Diego State resumes its series with Nevada on Saturday, starting at 6 p.m. PT.
Aztecs Roll Past Nevada, 13-1
