Aztecs Drop 7-6 Heartbreaker at UC Riverside Tuesday Night
San Diego State was unable to maintain a pair of leads in a heart-breaking 7-6 defeat to UC Riverside on the road Tuesday at Riverside Sports Complex.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – San Diego State was unable to maintain a pair of leads in a heart-breaking 7-6 defeat to UC Riverside on the road Tuesday at Riverside Sports Complex.
After the Highlanders rallied from a 5-0 deficit to eventually tie the score in the eighth inning, the Aztecs (15-31) reclaimed the lead at 6-5 in the top of the ninth, only to see UCR (15-28) plate two runs on three hits and one error in the bottom of the frame to escape with the win and complete the season sweep.
The top five batters in SDSU’s lineup finished with multiple hits, including Finley Bates, who went 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of runs scored, while Jonathan Smith, CJ Moran, Nevan Noonan (2 RBIs) and Daniel Arambula (2 RBIs) collected two apiece.
With the score knotted at 5-5, Bates led off the Aztec ninth with a single through the right side and advanced two bases when Highlander reliever Joshua Martinez threw wildly past first on a failed pickoff attempt. Moments later, Bates raced home on Noonan’s sharp single to center field.
However, the bottom of the inning started ominously for the Scarlet and Black when UCR’s David Whittle led off with a double and Diego Boardman reached on a fielding error during a sacrifice bunt attempt.
With runners at the corners, Robert Pitts followed with a single through the right side, plating Whittle, while Boardman motored around to third. After Pitts advanced to second on defensive indifference, Andrew Rivas knocked in Boardman with the game-winner on a single to left-center.
Rivas’ hit gave Martinez (2-4) the victory on the mound, while Xavier Cardenas III (0-5) absorbed the loss.
SDSU employed seven pitchers on the night, including starter Evan Miranda, who tossed three scoreless innings, offsetting one hit and one walk with a pair of strikeouts, as the Aztecs built a 5-0 advantage.
San Diego State opened the scoring in the first when Arambula singled home Smith, who previously walked and advanced on Moran’s base hit up the middle.
The Aztecs then put up a four-spot in the third on RBI singles by Noonan and Xavier Farnum sandwiched around consecutive sacrifice flies by Arambula and Jake Jackson.
The Highlanders finally broke through with three markers in the fifth, highlighted by Rivas’ single through the left side, which brought home Whittle and Pitts. Earlier, Pitts’ RBI single knocked in David Gibbs, who led off with a base hit to center and stole second before Whittle drew a walk, as both runners advanced on a sacrifice.
The score remained 5-3 in favor of the Aztecs until the eighth when UCR pushed across a pair of runs to tie the contest. Rivas led off with a double, while Landon Nunes was hit by a pitch, with both runners moving up on a wild pitch. Moments later, Rivas trotted home on Tyson Reis’ sacrifice fly, while pinch runner Jayden Lopez crossed the plate on Jacob Badawi’s double down the left-field line.
Rivas (4-for-5) led all players with four hits and three RBIs, while Pitts (2 RBIs) and Reis collected two hits apiece.
UP NEXT
San Diego State returns home this weekend to face New Mexico in a key Mountain West series, May 2-4, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The fourth-place Aztecs (10-11 MW) trail the Lobos (12-9 MW), who are tied for second, by two games in the conference standings.