SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – San Diego State overcame some late adversity on Wednesday to edge Cal Poly, 8-7, in 10 innings in the finale of a two-game non-conference midweek series at Baggett Stadium.
After squandering a 7-4 lead in the ninth, the Aztecs pushed across the eventual game-winning run courtesy of Shaun Montoya's two-out single in the 10th, which plated Brady Lavoie. Previously, Lavoie threaded a leadoff single through the left side before advancing on Manoah Chapman's sacrifice and Finley Bates' flyout to right.
Reliever Garvey Rumary (1-1) yielded a one-out single in the bottom of the inning to the Mustangs' Aaron Casillas, who took second moments later on a failed pickoff attempt following Liam MacDonald's lineout to right. However, the SDSU freshman got pinch hitter Casey Murray on a called third strike to end the game for his first collegiate victory.
With the win, the Aztecs evened the series at one game apiece and raised their record to 9-18 on the season, while Cal Poly dropped to 15-12 overall.
Along with Montoya, Lavoie and Chapman, SDSU received two hits from two additional players, including Irvin Weems, who tied a career high with four RBIs on the night, while Bates scored a collegiate-best three runs. In all, the Scarlet and Black collected 13 hits for the game, while the host school mustered just five.
In the eighth, Weems drove in Bates with what proved to be a crucial run after smacking his second triple of the season to deep right-center field, giving the visitors a seemingly comfortable 7-4 advantage. Earlier, Bates reached on a fielder's choice after Chapman was erased at second following a leadoff single.
However, the Aztec bullpen, which received a pair of stellar stints from Austin Kirkwood (1.0 IP) and Evan Miranda (2.0 IP), ran into control problems in the ninth, as the Mustangs scored three runs without a hit off a trio of new relievers, capitalizing on five walks and a hit batter to knot the score at 7-7.
Pinch runner Kemet Brown scored the tying run after Ryan Fenn reached on a fielder's choice to second, while Joe Yorke was subsequently struck by another pitch to reload the bases with two outs.
Rumary took the mound at this juncture and induced a groundout by Alejandro Garza on a 3-2 count to preserve the tie, setting the stage for Montoya's heroics.
Ryan Stafford had two of Cal Poly's hits, while Fenn finished with three RBIs in the loss.
SDSU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Bates crossed the plate after Tino Bethancourt reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop, while Montoya was hit by a pitch and later raced home on a successful double steal.
After the Mustangs answered with a Fenn sacrifice fly in their half of the frame, the Aztecs quickly gave themselves some separation on Weems' two-run single with two outs in the second, plating Lavoie and Bates, who doubled and reached on an infield hit, respectively.
SDSU extended its lead to 6-1 in the fourth when Chapman singled and ultimately scored on Weems' RBI groundout, while Colby Turner plated Montoya with a base hit to right shortly thereafter.
Cal Poly broke its scoring drought with three runs on two hits, one walk and a hit batter off starter Jadon Bercovich in the fifth. Yorke capped the surge with an RBI double with two outs, which narrowed the gap to 6-4.
Bercovich allowed four runs on four hits and four walks to go with three strikeouts in his first start of the season, while Mustang counterpart Christopher Downs fanned five batters in three innings of work but was lifted after giving up four runs on five hits and a walk.
After retiring the side in the ninth, Cal Poly's fourth reliever of the contest, Tanner Sagouspe (3-2), surrendered the go-ahead run in the 10th and was consequently charged with the loss.
San Diego State jumps back into conference play this weekend when it battles San José State in a three-game series, April 5-7, at Stephen Schott Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Aztecs Edge Cal Poly in 10 Innings, 8-7
