Aztecs Fall at UNLV in Extra Innings, 9-7

LAS VEGAS – In its final regular-season contest as Mountain West members, San Diego State fell to UNLV, 9-7, in 10 innings on Saturday in the rubber game of a weekend series at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

After the Aztecs left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th, Gunnar Myro hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to give the Rebels (30-24, 11-13 MW) the walk-off win and the series victory.

Despite the setback, SDSU (33-22, 16-8 MW) still enters the Mountain West Championship as the No. 1 seed, where it received a first-round bye and will await winner of the first-round matchup between No. 4 Nevada and No. 5 New Mexico on Friday, May 22 at 1:05 p.m. PT. The Aztecs clinched the outright MW regular-season title with a run-rule victory over UNLV earlier on Thursday night.

In a seesaw battle on Saturday, SDSU and UNLV each collected 13 hits, with Jake Jackson (3 RBIs) and Adam Magpoc leading the Scarlet and Black with three hits apiece.

Trailing 3-1, the Aztecs put up a five-spot in the top of the fourth on five hits to vault in front, 6-3. Zane Kelly and Gage Adams led off with consecutive singles, as both runners advanced when Marc Emmerman reached on an unsuccessful fielder’s choice during a sacrifice bunt attempt. Following a strikeout, Jackson came through with a clutch two-run single, ripping a 2-2 pitch from Rebel starter Yates Bland into left center field, as Kelly and Adams crossed the plate.

Moments later, Emmerman scored on a wild pitch, while Jackson stole third and promptly raced home on Max Farrell’s single to right. Farrell, who took second on a fielding error during the play, subsequently stole third and scored on a throwing error by catcher Gavin Taylor past the bag.

The score remained unchanged until the seventh when UNLV plated four runs on four hits to reclaim a 7-6 advantage. The Rebels loaded the bases when Myro drew a leadoff walk, while Reggie Bussey and Marcos Rosales followed with consecutive singles. Shortly thereafter, Drew Barragan plated Myro with a sacrifice fly, while Nin Burns II brought in Bussey with a double down the left-field line.

Following a pitching change, Jonny Rodriguez lifted a two-run single to left, as Rosales and Burns raced home to put the host school in front.

The Aztecs answered with a run in the top of the eighth when Adams roped a base hit to right with one out and took second on a walk to Emmerman before circling the bases on another clutch single by Jackson, knotting the score at 7-7. Emmerman and Jackson moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but reliever Ryan Marton induced a flyout to prevent the Scarlet and Black from seizing the upper hand.

SDSU loaded the bases in the top of the 10th when Kelly, Dawson Santana and Jackson all drew walks off Josh Donegan interspersed with a sacrifice bunt and a flyout. However, Donegan escaped disaster when Farrell hit into a fielder’s choice to third.

Connor Abadie, the Aztecs’ fifth reliever of the day who gave up a leadoff single upon entering in the ninth, retired four straight batters, including a strikeout of Jack Salmon to start the 10th. However, Connor Tallakson followed with a single, while Myro smacked a 3-1 pitch over the center field fence for the game winner, clinching the final Mountain West tournament berth for UNLV in the process.

Myro’s homer made a winner of Donegan (1-1), while Abadie took the loss.

The Rebels employed four pitchers, including Yates, who allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings before giving way to Marton, who yielded one run on three hits and a walk with six strikeouts over the next 4 2/3 innings.

Conversely, SDSU starter Alec Belardes gave up three runs on three hits and one walk with a trio of strikeouts in three innings, while Carson Johnson (2.0 IP), Drew Talavs (1.0 IP) and Simon Lemke (1.2 IP) each completed scoreless stints.

The teams traded runs in the early going, with the Rebels’ Cooper Sheff and the Aztecs’ Tyce Peterson delivering RBI singles in the second and third, respectively. However, Burns, who led all players with four hits, gave UNLV a 3-1 lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the third before the Aztecs’ outburst in the fourth.