Aztecs Stumble in Game Two of Weekend Series vs. WSU, 7-2

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State was victimized by a pair of big innings on Saturday in a 7-2 setback to Washington State in the second game of a Mountain West series at Tony Gwynn Stadium. 

The Cougars (7-10, 1-1 MW) scored three runs in the third and fifth innings before plating a single marker in the seventh to help even the weekend series at one game apiece.

Conversely, the Aztecs (10-9, 1-1 MW) outhit the visitors 9-6 but stranded nine men in the contest, finishing 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

SDSU starter Drew Talavs looked sharp through the first two innings, retiring the first six batters of the game, including five strikeouts. However, the Aztec right-hander encountered trouble in the third with a pair of walks to Dane Chavez and Noah Thein to lead off the frame.

Both runners advanced on Kyler Northrop’s sacrifice bunt in front of the pitcher’s mound, with Chavez crossing the plate on Trevor Smith’s sacrifice fly to right. Moments later, Thein raced home on a single to center field by Gavin Roy, who later circled the bases on Max Hartman’s RBI triple to the gap in right center, giving WSU a 3-0 advantage.

The Cougars put up a three-spot in the fifth to extend their lead, highlighted by Matthew Priest’s two-run single after Hartman drove in another with a groundout between the pitcher’s mound and first base. Previously, WSU loaded the bases when Northrop led off with a triple and Smith drew a walk before Roy was struck by a pitch.

Hartman’s ensuing grounder brought home Northrop, as Connor Abadie replaced Talavs on the mound. Priest then laced a single up the middle on the first offering from Abadie, plating Smith and Roy to give the Cougars a 6-0 cushion.

WSU tallied a single run in the seventh when Hartman singled through the right side and stole second before racing home on Priest’s RBI double to left.

The Aztecs finally broke their scoring drought in the bottom of the inning on four consecutive hits with two outs. Zane Kelly knocked in Dawson Santana with a sharp single to right center before Reeve Boyd crossed the plate on Jabin Trosky’s double down the right-field line. With Kelly on third, however, Cougar reliever Kaden Wickersham induced a flyout to prevent further damage.

SDSU put two runners aboard in the ninth after Santana and Kelly drew walks from Wickersham and Scott Rienguette, respectively. However, Smith made a diving catch of Trosky’s looper to right center before Cole Watterson put the squeeze on another high fly ball to left to end the game.

WSU starter Nick Lewis (1-1) scattered eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to earn the victory, while Talavs (2-2) was saddled with the loss, yielding six runs on three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Trosky, Boyd and Tyce Peterson led the Aztecs with two hits apiece, matching the Cougars’ Priest (3 RBIs) and Hartman for game-high honors.

Trosky led off the game with a double high off the fence in left but was left stranded at third after Lewis received consecutive groundouts followed by a flyout, setting an ominous tone for the rest of the contest.  

Lewis also escaped in the fourth after giving up a hustling double to Peterson and a walk to Jake Jackson with a strikeout of Adam Magpoc.

San Diego State and Washington State will square off in the rubber game of their weekend series on Sunday, March 15, beginning at 1 p.m. PT. The Aztecs-Cougars showdown will air live on the Mountain West Network.