Cougars Rally Past Aztecs in Series Finale

PULLMAN, Wash. – San Diego State was unable to avoid a weekend sweep on Sunday as Washington State combined for eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings to complete a 12-5 comeback victory in the finale of a Mountain West series at Bailey-Brayton Field.

The Aztecs (6-18, 2-4 MW) nursed a slim 5-4 lead into the seventh before the Cougars vaulted in front to stay on a pair of home runs, including a three-run blast by Will Cresswell followed by Max Hartman’s solo shot.

Then in the eighth, WSU (9-14, 4-2 MW) plated four additional markers, highlighted by Cresswell’s two-run single, to essentially put the contest out of reach.

SDSU out-hit the Cougars 12-11 but was just 2-for-15 (.133) with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 men for the contest.

Daniel Arambula went 4-for-5 with an RBI to lead the Scarlet and Black, while Zane Kelly collected a pair of hits and drove in two runs in the loss.

Trailing 1-0 after a WSU sacrifice fly in the first, the Aztecs put up a three-spot in the top of third on Nevan Noonan’s fielder’s choice groundout, which brought home Jonathan Smith, while Kelly followed with an RBI triple before crossing the plate on a passed ball.

Previously, Smith ripped a one-out double to left, while Arambula singled to right just moments later. The Aztecs avoided a potential double play when Noonan beat the relay throw to first after Arambula was erased at second.

The Cougars answered with three tallies of their own in the bottom of the inning on Logan Johnstone’s RBI double and Cresswell’s run-scoring single. Luke Thiele also drew a walk and ultimately raced home when Jonah Shull reached on a fielding error at shortstop before getting thrown out trying to advance to second on the play.

Facing a 4-3 deficit, SDSU jumped back in front in the top of the fifth on Arambula’s RBI single, which knocked in Finley Bates, while Kelly plated Noonan with a sacrifice fly. Earlier, Bates led off with a double, while Noonan took second on a dropped fly ball at the base of the wall in left field.

Aztec reliever Xavier Cardenas III, who entered after a leadoff walk in the fifth, got out of a bases-loaded jam with a swinging strikeout of pinch hitter Griffin Myers before fanning Ricco Longo with a runner on second to end the sixth.

However, Cardenas (0-3) was charged with the loss after surrendering all eight runs in the Cougars’ rally, while WSU’s third reliever of the day Luke Meyers (1-1) kept the Scarlet and Black off the board for the final three frames, offsetting four hits and a walk with four strikeouts to pocket the victory.

UP NEXT
San Diego State opens a week-long homestand on Tuesday, March 25, when it plays host to UC Riverside at Tony Gwynn Stadium, starting a 6 p.m. PT. The Aztecs then jump back into conference play with a three-game series against UNLV, March 28-30.