FRESNO, Calif. – San Diego State suffered its first Mountain West series defeat of the season Sunday after Fresno State claimed a 5-4 victory in the rubber game of a weekend set at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
Despite a career-high nine strikeouts from starting pitcher Omar Serrano and an 8-7 advantage in hits, the Aztecs dropped to 13-19 on the year and 8-5 in conference play, while the Bulldogs raised their record to 17-17 overall and 9-8 in MW action.
As a result, the Scarlet and Black occupies second place in the MW standings, two games behind San José State, which swept UNLV with a 10-3 home victory on Sunday.
SDSU seized the early lead in the top of the second when Poncho Ruiz led off with a single and took third on Cole Carrigg's base hit to right center before racing home on Tino Bethancourt's sacrifice fly. Yet a potential Aztec outburst was short-circuited when Carrigg was caught stealing, while Fresno State starter Trevor Garcia induced a flyout to Xavier Gonzalez.
Serrano was in a zone to start the game, fanning five of the first six batters he faced. However, the Bulldogs played small ball in the second, scoring two on three hits to vault in front.
Ben Newton, who led of the frame with a base hit to right, eventually crossed the plate on Grady Morgan's squeeze bunt, while Nikoh Mitchell later singled home Tyler Davis, who previously beat out an infield hit to shortstop. However, Serrano escaped further catastrophe after striking out Murf Gray and Bobby Blandford.
The Aztecs reclaimed a 3-2 advantage in the fourth when TJ Fondtain was hit by a pitch before Ruiz went yard for his fifth homer of the season on an 0-1 offering from Garcia.
SDSU put two runners aboard in the fifth; however, Charlie Rhee was caught stealing following a one-out single, while Shaun Montoya experienced the identical fate moments later after drawing a walk.
The Bulldogs inched in front by a 4-3 count in the sixth when Tommy Hopfe smacked a two-run homer off Aztec reliever Brian Leonhardt with two outs. Earlier, Serrano issued a one-out walk to Gray before yielding to Leonhardt, who struck out Blandford before Hopfe went deep.
The Scarlet and Black responded with a long ball of its own to lead off the seventh when Gonzalez belted his first homer in an Aztec uniform on a 3-1 pitch from reliever Victor Arreola, knotting the score at 4-4.
The deadlock proved to be short-lived, however, as Newton scored the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the frame on Welker's sacrifice fly to left. Previously, Newton led off with a single and motored around to third on Davis' base hit to left.
Despite yielding Gonzalez's home run, Arreola (2-1) earned the victory, offsetting three hits and one walk with a trio of strikeouts in three innings after taking over for Garcia to start the fifth.
Caden Miller led off the eighth with a single and advanced on Fondtain's groundout; however, reliever Jack Anker averted trouble thanks to Ruiz's foul out along the fence on the first-base side, while Carrigg flied out to center to end the inning.
Hopfe took the mound in the ninth and retired the side in order for his seventh save of the year.
On the flip side, Eldridge Armstrong III (3-1) absorbed the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the fateful seventh. Serrano lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk to go with those nine strikeouts, while Kelena Sauer pitched a scoreless eighth for the visitors.
Ruiz and Carrigg led the Aztecs with two hits apiece, while counterparts Davis and Newtons each produced identical totals in the win.
San Diego State returns to "America's Finest City" early this week for a brief home-and-home series against the University of San Diego, April 18-19. The Aztecs will play host to the Toreros at Tony Gwynn Stadium on Tuesday before heading across town for the rematch at USD's Fowler Park on Wednesday. Both contests are set for a 6 p.m. PT start.
Aztecs Drop Series Finale at Fresno State, 5-4
