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Aztecs score nine unanswered runs to jump to a half-game back for first place in conference standings
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
May 17, 2018 (Reno) - The San Diego State baseball team overcame a pair of four-run deficits to defeat Nevada on the road Friday night 12-7. The Aztecs, now 18-10 in the Mountain West, are a half-game behind the first-place standing Wolf Pack, which fell to 18-9 in league play.
The game-changing moment came off the bat of Granite HIlls alum Jordan Verdon, who hit a two-out, game-tying grand slam in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 7-7. The Aztecs first three runs of the game came in thanks to a pair of Chad Bible RBI singles and a two-out RBI triple by Julian Escobedo in the top of the fifth.
After Verdon's game-tying blast, the game remained tied until Dean Nevarez gave SDSU an 8-7 advantage with an RBI single to score Chase Calabuig. SDSU added several insurance runs after Verdon scored on a wild pitch and Jacob Maekawa hit a 2-RBI single to bring the score to 11-7 after eight innings.
After entering the game the inning prior, Grant Mayeaux laced an RBI double in the top of the ninth to score Calabuig from first base and bring the score to its final, 12-7.
After a rocky start, the Aztec pitching staff clamped down in the later innings, holding the Wolf Pack scoreless for the final four innings. Adrian Marudeno kickstarted that stretch with a pair of scoreless innings, including a top of the seventh inning where he struck out the side. Casey Schmitt and Logan Boyer posted a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, respectively, to close out SDSU's series-opening win. Mardueno was credited with his seventh win of the season in the effort.
Calabuig led the lineup, reaching base five times and scoring four runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate. Verdon's four RBIs led the team, while Bible and Maekawa both contributed multi-RBI performances. Bible and Nevarez led the SDSU lineup in hits, going 3-for-5 and 3-for-6, respectively.
NOTES
- San Diego State is now 5-2 in its last seven games against Nevada.
- SDSU's 12 runs scored are the most the program has ever scored at Nevada (17 total games).
- SDSU has won 83 consecutive games when leading after eight innings.
- SDSU is 25-3 and has won 10 consecutive games when scoring five or more runs.
- Jordan Verdon hit his second grand slam of the season, marking the first time since 2015 that SDSU has hit multiple grand slams in a season. Verdon is the first Aztec in the Mountain West-era (since 2000) to have multiple grand slams in the same season (also hit a grand slam against UNLV on March 25).
- Jordan Verdon recorded his 37th extra-base hit of the season with his grand slam on Friday night, giving him the most extra-base hits in a single season since Chris Gwynn tallied 59 extra-base hits during the 1984 season.
- Chase Calabuig extended his hitting streak to 12 games, tying his season-long. Over his 12 game hitting streak, Calabuig is hitting .522 (24-for-46). Calabuig also extended his on-base streak to 23 games.
- Calabuig recorded his 250th career hit, becoming the fourth player in Aztec history to reach that mark.
- Casey Schmitt extended his scoreless inning streak to 21.2 and lowered his ERA to 0.32, the best by an Aztec in the Mountain West era (minimum 10 IP).
UP NEXT
San Diego State looks to claim the first place spot with a win in tomorrow night's contest against Nevada scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. RHP Harrison Pyatt is scheduled to take the mound for the Aztecs.
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