After giving up all of Long Beach State’s runs in the first three innings, San Diego State baseball couldn’t generate any offense until the ninth inning, but it was too little too late as the Aztecs lost, 4-2, Tuesday night in Long Beach.
The loss puts the Aztecs at 12-26 while Long Beach State improves to 23-16. It’s the third loss in four games for SDSU, after dropping two of three to University of New Mexico during the prior weekend.
Freshman right-hander Chris Collins started the game for the Aztecs but struggled in his 1 1/3 innings of work, allowing three earned runs with four walks. Junior lefty Brett Seeburger relieved him and went 3 2/3 innings, giving up only one run with three strikeouts. Collins would take the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season.
It would be the last run of the game scored by Long Beach, as the last three Aztec pitchers would each go an inning without any damage.
For the 49ers, freshman Jacob Hughey and junior Dave Smith would combine to limit SDSU to just one hit over the first eight innings. The one base knock came off the bat of redshirt-senior Spencer Thornton in the fourth inning.
It was in the ninth that the Aztecs pushed across their first runs of the game, after a walk and two singles loaded the bases against Smith. Freshman first baseman Jordan Verdon took a free pass to make it 4-1.
Junior right-hander Austin McGeorge would then come in for Long Beach, and a strikeout later, sophomore infielder David Hensley would single in the second run of the game for the Aztecs. That’s where the scoring would end, though, after McGeorge struck out sophomore infielder Justin Wylie for the second out and induced a fly ball for the third out.
Though they picked up eight walks, the Aztecs were just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
It was the second game SDSU had played this season against Long Beach, the loss evening the season series at one apiece.
Up next for SDSU is an inter-conference matchup against University of Nevada. The three-game series starts at 6 p.m. Friday at Tony Gwynn Stadium. That time is tentative though, as both teams must finish a game that was postponed in the 10th inning with the score tied at six. That game is set to resume at 5 p.m.
