Aztecs Blank BYU, 3-0, in Tony Gwynn Legacy Opener

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State opened the 11th annual Tony Gwynn Legacy in style Friday with a 3-0 shutout of Brigham Young in a pitcher’s duel at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Aztec right-handers Rohan Lettow and Aidan Russell combined on a six-hit gem, helping the Scarlet and Black improve to 4-1, its best start since the abbreviated 2020 campaign.

Lettow (1-0) earned his first career victory after striking out 10 batters for the second straight start, allowing just two hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Russell pitched the rest of the way to collect his second collegiate save, offsetting one hit with a trio of strikeouts and no walks.

With those two totals combined, SDSU has now posted double-digit strikeouts in all five games this season, matching its longest streak since Feb. 21-March 3, 2023.

Jake Jackson gave Lettow all the support he needed with a bases-clearing double in the fourth after Dawson Santana and Jabin Trosky reached on singles, sandwiched around a walk to Max Farrell.

The Cougars (2-3) put one runner in scoring position for the entire contest after Ryder Robinson laced a one-out single in the second and moved up 90 feet on a stolen base. However, Lettow avoided trouble by fanning Keoni Painter following Parker Goff’s flyout.

BYU’s Crew McChesney also laced a one-out single in the fourth but was picked off at first by Lettow, extinguishing another threat.

The Cougars’ faint comeback hopes were quickly dashed in the ninth after Ezra McNaughton’s leadoff single, as Russell induced consecutive flyouts from Bryker Hurdsman and McChesney, while Robinson popped out to third, ending the game.

Despite collecting seven strikeouts against one walk, BYU starter Garrison Sumner (0-1) was saddled with the loss after giving up all three runs on four hits in four innings, while relieve Ashton Johnson fanned five batters without a walk to offset a pair of hits in his four-innings of work.

The Tony Gwynn Legacy continues on Saturday when San Diego State welcomes Utah to The Mesa in another battle of former Mountain West rivals.  First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. PT. The Utes dropped an 8-4 decision at San Diego on Friday.