SAN DIEGO – San Diego State opened the 2024 Tony Gwynn Legacy with a much-needed 10-3 victory over Missouri on Friday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The Aztecs received multiple hits from four players, while two relief pitchers combined to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard over the final 6.2 innings and help the Scarlet and Black raise its record to 2-3 on season.
Colby Turner and Shaun Montoya totaled three hits apiece to lead the SDSU offense, while Finley Bates and Irvin Weems finished with two each.
Turner, a freshman, enjoyed the finest game of his young career, driving in four runs with a bases-clearing double in the first inning, followed by an RBI triple in the sixth.
Mizzou (3-2) drew first blood in the first when Thomas Curry walked and later scored on a wild pitch. However, the Aztecs responded with four markers in their half of the inning to seize momentum.
Turner provided the big bat in the frame, doubling down the left-field line on the first pitch from Tiger starter Bryce Mayer, as Jake Jackson, Irvin Weems and Jacob McCombs all raced home. Earlier, Weems singled home Montoya, who reached on a base hit to left, while Jackson walked and McCombs was hit by a pitch.
The Aztecs increased their advantage to 6-1 in the second on consecutive groundouts by Montoya and Jackson, which plated Xavier Gonzalez and Bates in succession. Previously, Gonzalez drew a leadoff walk, while Bates doubled to left.
Mizzou trimmed the deficit to 6-3 in the third on RBI singles by Tucker Moore and Justin Colon. However, the visitors were kept off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest thanks to the efforts of relievers Jacob Riordan and Evan Miranada.
A transfer from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Riordan (1-0) picked up his first victory in a Scarlet and Black uniform, scattering five hits and one walk while across 4.2 scoreless innings. The Aztec senior also struck out a season-high six batters after entering for Chris Canada with one out in the third.
Meanwhile, Evan Miranda took the mound to start the eighth and gave up just one walk and two hit batters the rest of the way, finishing with a pair of strikeouts.
Conversely, Mayer (0-2) absorbed the loss for the Tigers after yielding six runs on four hits and two walks while posting five strikeouts in five innings.
SDSU plated four runs on five hits in the sixth off reliever Kaden Jacobi, who managed to retire just two batters in his brief appearance.
Weems smacked a leadoff single and quickly scored on a triple to the gap in right center by Turner, who raced home shortly thereafter on a wild pitch. Cade Martinez then reached on a sharp single to third before circling the bases on Bates' double to the wall in right center, while Montoya followed with an RBI single to close out the scoring.
Moore and Drew Culberson totaled two hits apiece for Mizzou in the defeat.
The Tony Gwynn Legacy continues on Saturday when San Diego State faces CSU Bakersfield, starting at 6 p.m. PT.
Aztecs Roll Past Missouri at Tony Gwynn Legacy
