LAS VEGAS – San Diego State took the lead on the first pitch of the game and never looked back, defeating UNLV by a 6-3 tally in the second game of a Mountain West series on Friday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
In their penultimate game of the season, the Aztecs (19-37, 10-19 MW) rode the pitching arms of starter Troy Melton and three relievers, along with the hot bats of Irvin Weems and TJ Fondtain to snap a seven-game losing streak to the Rebels.
Despite the loss, UNLV (35-20, 20-9 MW) captured the MW regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in next week's conference tournament thanks to Nevada's (28-23, 18-11 MW) 8-3 setback at home to Fresno State.
In likely his final start in a Scarlet and Black uniform, Melton (5-2) earned the victory after allowing three runs on four hits and two walks to with six strikeouts in six innings.
The Aztec offense gave Melton all the support he needed on the strength of four combined runs in the first two innings, highlighted by Weems' leadoff homer on the first pitch of the game.
SDSU kept things rolling after Weems went yard, as Caden Miller singled to center field and scored on Poncho Ruiz's 14 double of the season, while Fondtain plated the Aztec catcher moments later with an RBI groundout, giving the visitors a 3-0 edge.
San Diego State tacked on another run in the second when Brian Leonhardt drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a Kenny LeBeau sacrifice bunt before circling home on back-to-back singles by Tyler Glowacki and Weems.
Meanwhile on the mound, Melton was cruising through the first four frames, yielding a two-out double to Santino Panaro in the third and a leadoff walk to Austin Kryszczuk in the fourth.
However, UNLV would not go quietly, as the host school narrowed the gap with three markers in the fifth. Rylan Charles delivered a two-run single, plating Eric Bigani and Gianni Horvat, while Kryszczuk brought home Panaro with a sacrifice fly. Previously, the Rebels loaded the bases on pair of singles by Bigani and Panaro, sandwiched around a walk to Horvat.
Chris Canada took over for Melton to start the seventh and retired the first two batters before Panaro walked and stole second, while Charles singled to right center. However, Jonny Guzman took the hill at this juncture and induced a fielder's choice to Kryszczuk, ending the UNLV threat.
The Aztecs gave themselves some breathing room in the eighth when Fondtain led off with a double and took third on Shaun Montoya's sacrifice before crossing the plate on Leonhardt's single to center.
SDSU closed out the scoring in the ninth when Weems led off with a single, moved up on Miller's sacrifice and stole third before trotting home on Carrigg's high chopper to short.
UNLV threw in one last scare in its half of the inning when Panaro reached on a fielder's choice, while Charles hit a two-out single. However, Sauer received some great defense, as Max Foxcroft gathered Kryszczuk slow roller to third and quickly threw to first to end the game.
Despite the two hits, Sauer collected his fifth save of the season after entering with two outs in the eighth.
On the flip side, Rebel starter Joey Acosta (2-3) was tagged with the loss after ceding four runs on eight hits and one walk against three strikeouts in five innings. Nick Rupp gave up one hit and a walk in the fifth, while Hayden Neirman (5 H, 2 R, 2 S0) pitched the rest of the game.
Weems (4 hits, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) and Fondtain (3 hits, 1 RBIs) combined for seven of the Aztecs' 14 hits, while Leonhardt and Glowacki finished with two hits of their own.
San Diego State closes out its 2022 campaign when it battles UNLV in the series finale on Saturday, beginning at 12:05 p.m. PT.
Aztecs Even Series at UNLV with 6-3 Victory
