SAN DIEGO – In its final non-conference game of the regular season, San Diego State was edged by UC San Diego, 5-3, in 10 innings on Tuesday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
With the defeat, the Aztecs, who were out-hit 9-5, drop the season series to the Tritons three games to one, slipping to 21-27 on the year, while UCSD raises its record to 31-18 overall.
With the score knotted at 2-2, the Tritons tallied three runs in the top of the 10th and hung on for the victory, as the Scarlet and Black stranded runners at first and third after narrowing the gap with a single marker in the bottom of the inning.
The teams combined to utilize 14 pitchers on the night, including eight for SDSU, which was paced by Robert Brodell's three strikeouts in his stint of 1 1/3 innings after taking over for Issac Araiza to start the eighth.
The Aztecs grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Cole Carrigg scored on a bunt single by Caden Miller, who subsequently circled the bases on Xavier Gonzalez's double to the gap in left field.
Previously, Carrigg reached on a hot smash that caromed off the leg of Triton starter Ryan Rissas and later stole second before advancing on Irvin Weems' deep fly to right.
UCSD eventually tied the game on a pair of Nick Costello sacrifice flies, one in the second as Michael Fuhrmann raced home after moving to third on Crew Robinson's flyout to right following a leadoff double. The Triton outfielder accomplished the same feat later in the fourth, plating Bradlee Preap, who earlier got aboard on a throwing error at third base before advancing on a wild pitch and another Robinson flyout.
The score remained unchanged until the 10th when the visitors tallied three runs on three hits and one error. With one out, Fuhrman reached on a fielding error at second base, while Preap followed with a single to right. Moments later, Robinson doubled to left center and promptly scored on Noah Sudyka's triple down the left-field line.
The Aztecs threatened in the bottom of the frame when Weems scored on Gonzalez's one-out single to right. Earlier, Weems led off with a walk, while TJ Fondtain ripped a single up the middle just grazing the top of the glove of the shortstop Sudyka. However, SDSU was unable to extend the contest, as reliever Aren Alvarez struck out Brady Lavoie and Poncho Ruiz to end the game.
Alvarez (3-2) picked up the victory after fanning four batters in two innings despite allowing a run on a pair of hits and one walk. Conversely, Ricky Tibbett (1-1) was saddled with the loss after pitching the fateful 10th.
Tibbett replaced Brodell with one out in the ninth and got the Aztecs out of a jam by inducing a fielder's choice grounder to Matt Halbach before striking out Doyle Kane with runners at first and third.
Following Robinson's two-run double in the 10th, Eldridge Armstrong III entered and gave up Sudyka's RBI triple. However, SDSU's final reliever of the night averted further trouble, as Sudyka got caught in a rundown between third and home on Jalen Smith's tapper back to the mound, while Patrick Hackworth struck out.
In all, the Tritons left 11 men on base, while the Aztecs stranded 10 runners of their own.
SDSU put two runners aboard in the fifth on a pair of walks by Weems and Tino Bethancourt, sandwiched around Cade Martinez's sacrifice bunt. However, Zack Ernisse struck out Gonzalez to extinguish the threat.
Similarly, Preap and Robinson each drew a walk with two outs off Julian Jackson in the sixth before Araiza induced an inning-ending groundout to Costello.
San Diego State closes out its regular-season schedule later this week when it plays host to New Mexico in a crucial Mountain West series, May 18-20, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs need just one win against the Lobos to clinch a spot in the MW Championships, set for May 25-28 in Fresno, California.
Aztecs Fall to UCSD In 10 Innings, 5-3
