Aztecs Defeat UNLV, 3-1, to Complete Weekend Sweep
Three San Diego State pitchers combined on a six-hitter on Sunday, helping the Aztecs complete a weekend sweep of UNLV with a 3-1 triumph in the finale of a three-game Mountain West series at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
SAN DIEGO – Three San Diego State pitchers combined on a six-hitter on Sunday, helping the Aztecs complete a weekend sweep of UNLV with a 3-1 triumph in the finale of a three-game Mountain West series at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
SDSU starter Garvey Rumary (1-3) notched his first victory of the season after yielding one run on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, as the Aztecs (9-19, 5-4 MW) logged their first regular-season sweep of the Rebels (14-13, 2-7 MW) since April 2018.
In addition, the Scarlet and Black received three hits and a run scored from Daniel Arambula, while Drew Rutter scored the go-ahead tally in the fourth following a leadoff triple before plating a key insurance run in the eighth with a clutch single.
Not to be outdone, relievers Peyton Rodgers and Xavier Cardenas III held UNLV scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings. Rodgers (2.2 IP) offset three walks and one hit with a pair of strikeouts, while Cardenas induced a pair of flyouts in the ninth to earn his third consecutive save of the weekend and fourth overall.
The Aztecs drew first blood in their initial trip to the plate when Arambula laced a two-out single and alertly circled the bases after Noonan’s subsequent base hit was misplayed in right field.
The Rebels tied the ballgame in the third on a solo home run by Paul Myro IV with one out. The visitors seemed poised to add to their total later in the inning after Gunnar Myro walked and advanced to third on Dean Toigo’s single to right center. However, the Aztecs eliminated the threat when Myro was tagged out in a rundown between third and home after Rumary had Toigo essentially picked off between first and second.
Buoyed by its good fortune, SDSU went ahead to stay at 2-1 in the fourth when Rutter smoked a triple to right-center and raced home shortly thereafter on Evan Sipe’s squeeze bunt.
The score remained unchanged until the eighth when Rutter knocked in Zane Kelly with a one-out single up the middle that deflected off the shoulder of UNLV reliever Alex Overbay. Previously, Kelly was hit by a pitch and took second when Jake Jackson reached on a fielder’s choice.
Both teams combined to strand 19 runners for the game, including 10 by the Rebels.
UNLV loaded the bases in the sixth, but Rodgers induced a fielder’s choice grounder to short by Chase Gallegos to avoid disaster.
Later in the eighth, with two outs and runners at the corners, Rodgers also fought himself off the proverbial ropes when Cole Koniarsky harmlessly tapped a slow roller down to first.
After issuing a one-out walk in the ninth, Rodgers was replaced by Cardenas, who threw just five pitches to retire JP Hefft and Gunnar Myro on flyouts to right to preserve the Aztec victory.
Along with Aramula and Rutter’s production, SDSU also received two hits from Noonan, while Koniarsky finished with a pair of hits of his own to lead the Rebels in the loss.
Rebel starter Sam Simon (1-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in six innings, while Overbay pitched the final two frames.
UP NEXT
San Diego State will step out of conference play on Tuesday, April 1, when it battles USC at Great Park in Irvine, California. Game time is set for 6 p.m. PT and the contest will air live on Big Ten Network Plus.