STANFORD, Calif. – San Diego State split a Mountain West doubleheader against San José State Saturday, posting a 5-0 shutout in the opener before coming up empty in the nightcap by a 4-0 count at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond on the Stanford University campus.
With the two seven-inning results, the Aztecs (20-23, 14-8 MW) are still perched atop the conference standings ahead of second-place Air Force (22-25, 14-10 MW), while the Spartans (21-22, 14-11) remain in the third spot.
In game one, TJ Fondtain (6-2) tossed the fourth complete game of his career and third via shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk with a pair of strikeouts for his third consecutive victorious start.
Over his last eight starts on the hill, Fondtain has logged a 5-1 record with a 1.15 ERA, yielding seven earned runs in 55 innings while posting a combined 58 strikeouts against only 12 walks. In that span, SDSU is 7-1 as a team, outscoring the opposition 39-17.
In addition, SDSU received balanced production in its lineup, with Shaun Montoya, Caden Miller, Xavier Gonzalez and Tino Bethancourt notching two hits apiece. Bethancourt also finished with two RBIs, while Cole Carrigg drove in a pair as well.
The Aztecs seized control in their first trip to the plate, as Carrigg singled home Irvin Weems, while Bethancourt drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Montoya, followed by Gonzalez's sacrifice fly.
Previously, Weems led off with a walk, while Montoya reached on a bunt single before Carrigg came through with his clutch hit. After a strikeout, Miller laced a single to right, which loaded the bases.
SDSU stretched its advantage to 4-0 in the second when Cade Martinez galloped home after Carrigg reached on an error by third baseman Dalton Bowling.
Martinez walked to lead off the inning and advanced on a wild pitch, while Weems drew a base on balls and Montoya singled to center, setting the stage for Carrigg's RBI.
The Scarlet and Black closed out the scoring in the seventh when Miller doubled and promptly scored on Bethancourt's base hit to center, which was mishandled by Jack Colette.
SJSU threatened in the fifth by loading the bases with two outs. After Bowling flew out to left, Robert Hamchuk reached on an error at third base, while Neil Jansen drew a walk on a marathon 12-pitch at-bat following Matt Spear's strikeout. However, Fondtain fought himself off the proverbial ropes by inducing a groundout to Theo Hardy.
San José State starter Micky Thompson (2-4) was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs on six hits and six walks against three strikeouts before giving way to Corey Sanchez to start the seventh.
The Aztecs had the tables turned on them in the nightcap as Spartan starter Jack White (6-2) pitched a complete-game shutout of his own, yielding three hits without a walk while posting seven strikeouts in his first start of the year.
SJSU scored all of its runs in the first two innings, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the first when McAdoo raced home on Colette's double to left center on the first offering from SDSU starter Chris Canada. Previously, McAdoo reached on a fielder's choice grounder after Hardy walked and was erased at second.
The Spartans loaded the bases in the second when Bowling drew a walk sandwiched between singles by Jansen and Nik Trapani. Spear subsequently drew a base on balls to bring in Jansen, while Hamchuk drove in Bowling with a single through the right side.
Eldridge Armstrong III took the mound at this juncture, inducing a double-play grounder to Hardy, as Trapani touched the plate to give the hosts a 4-0 advantage. However, the Aztec reliever minimized the damage by getting Colette to pop out to shortstop after McAdoo walked.
The Aztecs put two runners aboard in the fourth on consecutive two-out singles to Miller and Gonzalez, but White received a groundout from Bethancourt to keep the Scarlet and Black off the scoreboard.
Armstrong scattered five hits and two walks over 4 1/3 scoreless innings after taking over for Canada (3-5), who absorbed the loss, while Kelena Sauer entered and recorded the final two outs in the sixth.
San Diego State concludes its Bay Area odyssey on Sunday when it faces the Spartans in the series finale back in Berkeley at Evans Diamond at Stu Gordon Stadium on University of California campus. The Aztecs and Spartans will play nine innings, with the first pitch set for 12:35 p.m. PT.
The second game of Friday's doubleheader, which was rained out, has been canceled and will not be made up.
Aztecs Split Saturday Doubleheader vs SJSU
