SDSU BASEBALL DEFEATS COASTAL CAROLINA 3-1

Aztecs improve to 2-0 on the year

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

February 15, 2020 (Conway, S.C.) - Visiting San Diego State won its second straight Saturday with a 3-1 triumph over Coastal Carolina in the Brittain Resorts Baseball by the Beach event at Springs Brooks Stadium.

Making his first career start, Troy Melton and two relievers limited the Chanticleers (1-1) to just one run on three hits, while Matt Rudick, Brian Leonhardt and Ryan Orr finished with two hits apiece to lead the Aztec offense.

Melton (1-0) held CCU scoreless in five innings pitched, allowing just one hit while posting a career-high five strikeouts en route to his first collegiate victory.

SDSU (2-0) quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Rudick touched home on Leonhardt’s RBI single down the right field line.

The score remained unchanged until the fifth when Mike Jarvis reached on a two-out base hit to left and promptly stole second. Moments later, Rudick roped an RBI single through the left side to give the Scarlet and Black a 2-0 cushion.

The Chanticleers broke through with an unearned run off reliever Christian Winston in the seventh to trim the Aztec advantage in half. With two outs and two runners aboard, Winston got Brian Port to swing on a wild pitch in the dirt for strike three. Catcher Wyatt Hendrie chased the down the ball but threw wildly to first base, allowing Cooper Weiss to score before Eric Brown was tagged out at third.

SDSU got the run back after Hendrie atoned for his earlier miscue with a bases-loaded walk. Previously, Rudick drew a base on balls from Casey Green, CCU’s second reliever of the game, while Orr reached on an infield hit before Anthony Walters was hit by a pitch.

Trailing 3-1, the Chanticleers put a runner aboard in the bottom of the eighth when Scott McKeon drew a leadoff walk. However, after a called third strike on BT Riopelle, Brown relieved Winston, inducing a groundout and flyout, before setting down CCU in order in the ninth to record his first career save.

Chanticleer starter Scott Kobos (0-1) absorbed the loss after allowing two runs on eight hits in six innings of work before giving way to Alaska Abney in the seventh. Winston, the Aztecs’ middle reliever, went 2 1/3 innings, giving up the aforementioned unearned marker on one hit and two walks to go with a trio of strikeouts.

San Diego State closes out its weekend appearance at the Brittain Resort Baseball by the Beach tournament with a clash against UNC Greensboro starting at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT. The Aztecs are projected to start Aaron Eden against the Spartans’ Jeremiah Triplett, both of whom are righ-handed.

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