SAN DIEGO – San Diego State erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning to highlight a 9-2 victory over North Dakota State in the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Sunday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
With the win, the Aztecs (1-5) snapped a five-game slide to open the season and defeated the Bison (1-5) in the first meeting between the two programs.
Cole Carrigg led the Scarlet and Black with four RBIs, finishing with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with a double and a run scored while contributing a pair of Herculean defensive efforts in the late innings to help quash any NDSU comeback hopes.
In addition, TJ Fondtain ignited the Aztecs' outburst with his second home run of the year, a two-run shot, after Caden Miller walked to lead off the fourth.
SDSU employed four pitchers on the evening, allowing just two unearned runs while combining for 12 strikeouts against eight hits and eight walks.
Robert Brodell (1-1) picked up the victory in relief, countering two hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 scoreless innings after taking over for Chris Canada, who faced two batters to start the fifth.
Canada, who was charged with one unearned run, matched his career high with seven strikeouts, offsetting four walks and a trio of hits.
The Aztecs drew first blood in their initial trip to the plate when Carrigg lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left field to bring home Irwin Weems, who led off the game with a walk and combined on a double steal with Shaun Montoya, who was previously hit by a pitch.
The score remained unchanged until the fourth when the host school put up seven runs on six hits and one error after sending 11 men to the plate. Along with Fondtain's aforementioned blast, SDSU padded its lead on consecutive two-run doubles by Montoya and Carrigg, while Poncho Ruiz followed with an RBI single up the middle.
NDSU was gifted an unearned run with two outs in the fifth when Kyle Law raced home from third on an unsuccessful pick-off attempt after Druw Sackett reached on a fielder's choice.
The Aztecs tacked on another marker in the eighth when Montoya reached on an error, stole second and ultimately touched the plate on Carrigg's single through the right side, which extended their advantage to 9-1.
Earlier in the top of the frame, the Bison loaded the bases with two outs on Terrell Huggins' double followed by a pair of walks to Jack Steil and Carson Hake. However, Carrigg snared Law's deep fly ball at the warning track to prevent any damage.
NDSU settled for an unearned run in the ninth to close out the scoring, as Peter Brookshaw singled up the middle and took second on a throwing error before crossing the plate on Davis Hamilton's base hit through the right side.
Earlier, Carrigg turned in another defensive gem worthy of a highlight reel when he ran down Sackett's deep fly ball on the warning track in left center before unleashing a precise throw to third to nail a sliding Cadyn Schwabe, who tagged up from second after reaching on a fielding error and advance on a wild pitch.
Still, the Bison threatened to narrow the gap on Stephen Lund's previous walk, while Huggins followed with another base hit following Hamilton's single, which loaded the bases. However, Eldridge Armstrong III took the hill in place of Julian Jackson at this juncture and promptly struck out Steil to end the game.
In addition to Carrigg and Fondtain's heroics, the Aztecs received two hits apiece from newcomers Xavier Gonzalez and Maddox Haley, the latter of whom drew a pair of walks as well.
Conversely, Huggins had four of NDSU's eight hits, including a pair of doubles.
Bison starter Max Loven (0-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs on seven hits and four walks against four strikeouts in four innings, while Carson Jacobs fanned four batters of his own to counter two walks and a hit in his three scoreless innings of relief.
San Diego State wraps play at the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Monday when it plays host to Hawai'i at Tony Gwynn Stadium, starting at 6 p.m. PT. The Aztecs' clash with the Rainbow Warriors will air live on the Mountain West Network.
Big Inning Propels Aztecs Past NDSU, 9-2
