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Aztec starter Troy Melton pitches complete game victory
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
April 22, 2022 (San Diego) - Behind Troy Melton’s second career complete game, San Diego State defeated Grand Canyon 2-1 on Friday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Melton’s brilliant effort marked the Aztecs’ first nine-inning complete game since Justin Goossen-Brown accomplished the feat in an 8-0 shutout of New Mexico in San Diego on May 16, 2019.
The SDSU right-hander also tossed a complete game last season in a 17-0 run-rule victory at home over Fresno State in seven innings on March 6, 2021.
On Friday, Melton (3-2) threw 124 pitches, allowing just one unearned run on four hits and no walks while posting five strikeouts.
The Lopes tallied their lone score of the night in the fourth when Homer Bush Jr. touched the plate following Elijah Buries’ base hit up the middle. Previously, Bush led off with a single down the right-field line, while Juan Colato hit a chopper to third and reached on a throwing error. Moments later, Jacob Wilson grounded into a double play, moving Bush to third.
GCU (26-14) also got a runner to third in the top of the fifth when Cade Verdusco doubled to left center and advanced on Tayler Aguilar’s grounder to second. However, Melton finished the inning unscathed after inducing a flyout to Nick Hansen.
Later in the sixth, the Lopes advanced a runner to second when Colato reached in the sixth on a throwing error on a grounder to first and moved up 90 feet on the play. The potential threat was extinguished moments later when Wilson tapped Melton’s 1-1 pitch to second.
The Aztecs (11-28) responded with two runs in their half of the sixth when Cole Carrigg and Tino Bethancourt delivered RBI singles. Earlier, Poncho Ruiz roped a one-out single to left and ultimately advanced to third after a stolen base and a balk.
GCU switched pitchers at this juncture, as Carrigg stepped to the plate and ripped a 3-1 offering from reliever Eli Ankeney to left, plating Ruiz. Following a strikeout, Carrigg swiped two consecutive bases to move into scoring position, racing home when Bethancourt beat out an infield hit to shortstop.
With the SDSU nursing its 2-1 advantage into the top of the ninth, Melton showed no signs of slowing down despite allowing a leadoff single to Colato. However, the Aztec junior needed just four more pitches to finish off the Lopes, retiring Jacob Wilson and Buries on a liner to short and a flyout to center, respectively, while left fielder Johnny Giannola tracked down Tyler Wilson’s fly ball in foul territory to ice the game.
GCU starting pitcher Carter Young went 5 1/3 innings, yielding three hits and three walks while giving up the one run by Ruiz in the sixth.
Both teams totaled just five hits in the pitcher’s duel on Friday.
With the victory, SDSU snapped a 14-game losing streak when its opponent scores first, dating back to a 4-3 triumph over Arizona State at home on March 6. In addition, the Aztecs recorded their first win when scoring two runs or less since an identical 2-1 win at UC Irvine on Feb. 25, 2020.
San Diego State continues its weekend homestand on Saturday when it faces No. 7 Stanford at 6 p.m. Earlier on Friday, the Cardinal (22-12) prevailed by an 11-1 count over GCU at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
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