SAN DIEGO – San Diego State's Jaden Fein and Jacob Cruce combined for three RBIs on back-to-back singles in the bottom of the seventh inning on Friday to lift the Aztecs to a 4-1 triumph over Iowa as part of the Tony Gwynn Legacy event..
With the victory, SDSU won its second straight improving to 4-1 on the year, while the Hawkeyes slip to 2-2 overall.
Christian Winston (2-0) pitched 1 ½ innings in relief of starter Michael Paredes to pick up the win after entering in the top of the seventh. Paredes overcame a shaky start in the season opener vs. Virginia Tech with six strong innings, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while posting seven strikeouts.
Winston followed and kept road-weary Iowa off the scoreboard in his outing despite giving up two hits and a walk, while Casey Schmitt came on to get the final four outs to earn his second save of the year.
The Aztecs snared a 1-0 lead in the second on Anthony Walters' RBI groundout, which brought home Brian Leonhardt, who led off with an infield single and motored around to third on Ryan Orr's ensuing double.
The Hawkeyes responded with a marker in the third when Ben Norman tripled down the right field line and later scored on Izaya Fullard's sacrifice fly.
Iowa threatened in the seventh after Brandon Sher singled up the middle and advanced on a sacrifice by Dylan Nedved. However, Winston avoided any damage after getting Justin Jenkins to look at a called strike three.
San Diego State came to life with two outs in the seventh after Hawkeye starter Jack Dreyer issued consecutive walks to Walters and Wyatt Hendrie. Trace Hoffman entered in relief for the visitors but was unable to get out of the jam, as Fein singled home Walters on the very first pitched, moving to second on the throw to the plate, while slid into third.
Cruce came on to pinch hit for Caden Miller and laced another single in almost the exact spot, plating Hendrie and Fein.
Iowa put two runners aboard in the eighth after Norman walked and Fullard singled. Undaunted, Schmitt took the mound and avoided calamity by inducing Austin Martin into double play grounder.
Schmitt survived some tense moments in the ninth after yielding a two-out single to Sher and plunking the next batter Nedved. The Hawkeyes were unable to capitalize, however, as Jenkins grounded out to end the game.
Dreyer (1-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits and the two pivotal walks in 6 2/3 innings. Sher had three of Iowa's six hits on the night
The Tony Gwynn Legacy continues on Saturday when Nebraska invades The Mesa for a 6 p.m. start at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs-Huskers clash will be streamed via the MW Network.