Aztecs Power Past Seton Hall, 16-11

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – San Diego State combined for 10 runs in the fourth and fifth innings on Friday to key a 16-11 triumph over Seton Hall in the first game of the season-opening MLB Desert Invitational at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.

The Aztecs (1-0) banged out 18 hits on the night, with eight of nine starters posting at least one, helping SDSU snap a three-game losing streak in season openers. Biola transfer Jonathan Smith (3-for-5) made his Aztec debut a memorable one, compiling a collegiate-best five RBIs, highlighted by a three-run homer in the fourth inning that put the Scarlet and Black in front for good at 5-4. He also accounted for SDSU’s final tally with a two-run double in the ninth.

In addition, the Aztecs received a stellar performance from Zane Kelly, who finished with career highs of four hits and four runs scored, while Nevan Noonan, Jake Jackson, CJ Moran and Evan Sipe finished with two hits each.

Issac Araiza (1-0), SDSU’s third pitcher of the game, picked up the win in relief, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings with a career-high five strikeouts, but was unable to get the final out in the eighth after the Pirates loaded the bases on two infield singles sandwiched around a walk.

Freshman Peyton Rodgers, a Torrey Pines High alumnus, was summoned from the bullpen and made quick work of Kevin Milewski with a strikeout on four pitches to extinguish the Pirate threat. Despite yielding a two-run homer in the ninth, Rodgers managed to earn the save in his first appearance as an Aztec.

Seton Hall (0-1) drew first blood on Aiden Robbins’ RBI single in the bottom of the first before the Scarlet and Black knotted the score with two outs in the second when Sipe lifted a bloop double just behind the bag at first base, plating Kelly, who previously walked and stole second.

However, the Pirates responded with AJ Soldra’s three-run homer in the bottom of the frame, which brought in Marco Ali and Frankie Scrivanic. Previously, Ali roped a leadoff double down the right-field line, while Scrivanic drew a walk.

After a scoreless third for both teams, the proverbial pendulum swung in favor of the Aztecs, who erupted for six runs on seven hits in the fourth after sending 11 hitters to the plate. Moran led off with a towering double to left and promptly scored when Daniel Arambula reached safely on a perfectly executed bunt that found no-man’s land between first and second.

Following Kelly’s single, Smith stepped to the plate and crushed a 3-1 offering from Seton Hall starter Daniel Frontera over the fence in right, giving SDSU a 5-4 lead it would not relinquish.  Moments later, the Aztecs reloaded the bases off Pirate reliever Jayson Torres after Drew Rutter walked, Finley Bates reached on a fielder’s choice and Nevan Noonan found an empty space between third and short for an infield single. Following a strikeout, Moran stepped up for the second time in the frame and delivered a sharp single up the middle, scoring Rutter and Bates to increase the Aztec advantage to 7-4.

Milewski got a run back for Seton Hall with a solo blast in the bottom of the fourth before SDSU countered with a four-spot in the top of the fifth. Kelly was struck by a pitch to lead off the inning, while Smith drew a walk, with both runners advancing on Sipe’s sacrifice bunt. Shortly thereafter, Bates ripped a solid two-run single to center, knocking in Kelly and Smith, while Rutter, who previously walked, took third.

Noonan soon followed with a sacrifice fly to score Rutter, while Jackson tripled for the second time in the game to bring in Bates, giving the Scarlet and Black a seemingly comfortable 11-5 cushion.

However, the Pirates quickly narrowed the gap to 11-8 with three runs in their half of the fifth, capitalizing on an Aztec fielding error. Ali’s single through the left side plated Robbins and Jimmy Brennan, while Ryan Frontera reached on a mishandled grounder to first and later scored on Milewski’s base hit to right.

After the two sides exchanged single tallies in the sixth, SDSU managed to keep Seton Hall at bay with a combined four runs in the eighth and ninth. Arambula touched home in the eighth on Rutter’s fielder’s choice grounder, while Kelly and Smith smacked consecutive doubles in the ninth to close out the scoring.

Daniel Frontera (0-1) absorbed the loss for Seton Hall after allowing five runs on six hits and one walk in three innings, while Aztec starter Omar Serrano pitched 3 2/3 innings, yielding five runs on six hits and two walks against five strikeouts before giving way to Garvey Rumary.

Rumary gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits and one walk in 1 1/3 innings before he was replaced by Araiza in the sixth.

The Pirates’ Robbins, Ali and AJ Soldra tied for the team lead with three hits each in the loss.

San Diego State continues its stay at the MLB Desert Invitational on Saturday when it faces Grand Canyon at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT, and the contest will be streamed live on MLB.com.