USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – San Diego State crept back into first place in the Mountain West on Saturday with a 5-4 triumph over Air Force in the second game of a weekend series at Falcon Field.
With the victory, the Aztecs (21-25, 15-10 MW) forge a half-game lead over the Falcons (24-27, 15-11 MW) and San José State (24-23, 15-11 MW) in the conference standings, while Fresno State 26-24 (15-14 MW) remains in fourth.
Shaun Montoya's RBI single in the top of the ninth plated Tino Bethancourt with go-ahead run, making a winner out of Eldridge Armstrong III (4-1), who retired the side in the eighth after recording the final out in the seventh.
In the decisive inning, Bethancourt was struck by a pitch from reliever Ben Weber with one out, while Cade Martinez followed with a single through the left side. Moments later, Cole Carrigg struck out, with Bethancourt and Martinez executing a double steal before Weber hit the next batter Irvin Weems to load the bases.
However, Montoya laced a 1-1 offering from Weber through the right side as Bethancourt raced home from third. Martinez was thrown out trying to score from second, but the Scarlet and Black still led, 5-4.
SDSU withstood some anxious moments in the ninth when Sam Kulasingam and Jeff Thomason greeted Kelena Sauer with consecutive singles to lead off the frame. However, the Aztec relief ace clamped down and recorded his 11th save of the season after striking out Chris Stallings and receiving a 5-4 double play off the bat of Trayden Tamiya to end the game.
San Diego State finished with five double plays on the day, including additional inning-ending varieties in the fourth and sixth.
In all, the Aztecs utilized six pitchers who combined to allow four unearned runs on 10 hits, six walks and three errors, including starter Chris Canada, who yielded one run on six hits and two walks to go with six strikeouts.
Canada's counterpart Doyle Gehring surrendered four runs on seven hits and one walk to go with four strikeouts in six-plus innings of work but did not factor in the decision. However, Weber (2-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up the go-ahead tally in the ninth, allowing four hits in three innings overall.
Bethancourt tied for game-high honors with three hits to lead SDSU, while Montoya and Weems had two apiece in the victory. Not to be outdone, Weems matched his career-best with three RBIs.
Weems threaded a single through the right side with two outs in third, which brought home Bethancourt and Cole Carrigg to give the Scarlet and Black a 2-0 advantage.
The score remained unchanged until Canada was victimized by a bad break in the sixth. After a dropped foul ball behind the plate, Thomason was given new life and promptly doubled before crossing the plate on Tamiya's RBI single off new pitcher Xavier Cardenas III, who was subsequently lifted for Ricky Tibbett after walking Chase Spencer.
However, Tibbett prevented further damage by getting Matt Thompson to line into a double play at shortstop, as Tamiya was erased leaning off second.
SDSU padded its lead in the top of the seventh on Carrigg's squeeze bunt and Weems' RBI double.
Previously, Xavier Gonzalez and Bethancourt led off with consecutive singles, which chased Gehring, before Martinez reached on a fielder's choice. Moments later, Carrigg dropped the first pitch from Weber directly in front of the plate, as Gonzalez raced home, while Weems' screaming liner down the left-field line brought in Martinez.
The Aztecs' 4-1 lead was short-lived, however, as Air Force rallied with three runs in the bottom of the inning on just one hit, capitalizing on a pair of walks and an error.
Jake Greiving drew a bases-loaded walk off new reliever Brian Leonhardt, plating T.J. Oster, who pinch ran after Aaron Reyes reached on a fielding error. Following a flyout by Blake Covin, Aerik Joe was hit by a pitch from Tibbett, prompting a call to the bullpen for Leonhardt, who issued a bases on balls to Kulasingam to load the bases. Moments later, Tamiya followed with a two-run single off Armstrong to knot the score.
Armstrong then walked Spencer to reload the bases, but Montoya made a diving catch on Thompson's sinking liner in right, preserving the 4-4 deadlock and setting the stage for his eventual game-winning hit in the ninth.
Tamiya (3 RBIs) totaled three hits to tie the Aztecs' Bethancourt for game-high honors, while Joe and Thomason added two hits each in the loss. Despite that production, the Falcons were unable to cash in on their opportunities, stranding 10 runners for the day.
San Diego State and Air Force will square off in the rubber game of their weekend series on Sunday, starting at noon MT/11 a.m. PT. Once again, the Aztecs-Falcons clash will air live on the Mountain West Network.
Aztecs Edge Falcons, 5-4, to Reclaim First Place
