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Aztecs slip into tie for second in the MW with one week remaining in regular season
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
May 14, 2023 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Air Force outscored visiting San Diego State 10-1 over the final four innings on Sunday en route to a 16-10 victory in the finale of a three-game weekend series at Falcon Field.
With the setback, the Aztecs (21-26, 15-11 MW) drop into a tie for second place in the Mountain West standings alongside San José State, with both squads trailing the first-place Falcons (25-27, 16-11 MW) by a half-game, while Fresno State (26-24, 16-14 MW) remains a close fourth.
SDSU surrendered a season-high 20 hits to Air Force on Sunday, as Sam Kulasingam led all players with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate and scored three runs, while Jeff Thomason (5 RBIs) and Chase Spencer (3 runs) total three hits each.
Conversely, the Aztecs racked up 13 hits of their own, as Irvin Weems (3 RBIs) and Tino Bethancourt paced the Scarlet and Black individually with three hits apiece, while TJ Fondtain smacked his team-leading ninth home run of the season.
In a recurring theme of the day, San Diego State grabbed leads of 3-0, 4-1 and 9-6, but was unable to extinguish Falcon rallies.
Trailing 6-4, the Aztecs put up five runs on four hits and one error in the top of the fifth, sending nine men to the plate in the inning.
Poncho Ruiz reached on an error at short, driving in Fondtain, who previously walked and took third on Caden Miller’s double. Moments later, Miller crossed the plate on Xavier Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly to right, while Bethancourt followed with a double.
Seungmin Shim relieved starter Dylan Rogers at this juncture and Cade Martinez executed a squeeze bunt on a 1-1 pitch, plating Ruiz, while Weems followed with a two-run triple on a hot smash to left center that rolled all the way to the wall, as Martinez and Cole Carrigg circled the bases to give the visitors a 9-6 advantage.
However, Air Force whittled away at the deficit, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Trayden Tamiya led off with an infield single and took second on a throwing error before racing home on Spencer’s double to right center. After a pitching change and flyout, Spencer stole third and promptly scored on Walker Zapp’s double to right, which narrowed the gap to 9-8.
The Falcons recorded two additional markers on RBI singles in the sixth by Jake Greiving and Tamiya to take the lead for good at 10-9.
After Kulasingam’s run-scoring double in the seventh, Air Force broke the game open in the eighth with five runs on five hits, sending 10 batters to the plate to build a 16-9 cushion. Thomason capped the outburst with a two-run single after Kulasingham drew a bases-loaded walk.
SDSU closed out the scoring in the ninth when Bethancourt doubled home Gonzalez, who beat out an infield hit with two gone in the inning.
The Aztecs utilized six pitchers on the day, with Issac Araiza (1-1) absorbing the loss after giving up two runs on three hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings, including the go-ahead tally in the sixth. Starter Jadon Bercovich went 2 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits without a walk while striking out two batters.
On the flip side, Sawyer Hawks (3-0) was credited with the victory after retiring three straight batters to finish the sixth, following Shim’s walk to Fondtain. Duke Benge pitched the final three frames to earn the save.
SDSU seized the early momentum with three runs in the third. Weems singled home Carrigg, who previously reached on an infield hit and stole second, while Fondtain followed with a two-run blast over the fence in right on the first offering from Rogers.
Air Force responded with Thomason’s RBI double in the bottom of the frame, plating Kulasingam, who earlier reached on an error at first.
After Carrigg’s groundout in the fourth scored Ruiz, the Falcons responded with five tallies on five hits in their half of the inning, highlighted by Thomason’s two-run homer to right, which gave the hosts a 6-4 edge.
San Diego State opens a four-game homestand in the final week of the regular season, playing host to UC San Diego on Tuesday, May 16 before welcoming New Mexico to Tony Gwynn Stadium for a key Mountain West series May 18-20.
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