Center fielder Quintin Berry belted a three-run double to the gap in right-center field in the eighth inning, lifting San Diego State to a 10-8 victory over Cal Poly in the final game of a three-game non-conference baseball series Sunday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
With the win, the Aztecs, under coach Tony Gwynn, salvaged one game in the series. Cal Poly clinched the series with 11-2 and 4-1 triumphs Friday and Saturday, respectively, and has won all four series this season.
San Diego State is now 3-7 on the season while Cal Poly fell to 9-3.
Cal Poly led most of the game, scoring five times in the first inning and adding two more in the fourth for a 7-3 advantage.
But San Diego State kept chipping away at the Mustangs’ lead, finally overtaking Cal Poly in the eighth on Berry’s three-run double off Casey Fien, the fourth Mustang pitcher of the game.
Jimmy Van Ostrand belted a three-run home run in the first inning, his third of the series and fifth of the season, and Bryan Kepner added a two-run shot in the same frame for a 5-0 Mustang lead.
Cal Poly scored twice more in the fourth for a 7-3 lead but San Diego State battled back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Each team scored in the seventh, giving Cal Poly an 8-7 lead and setting the stage for Berry’s heroics in the bottom of the eighth.
Both teams collected 12 hits.
Cal Poly’s top hitters were Kepner, who entered the game with an .083 average but garnered two doubles to go along with his home run, knocking in a total of three runs. Brent Walker and Matt Canepa each added two hits for the Mustangs.
Designated hitter Paul Smyth had three hits for San Diego State, including a home run, and Berry, Tim O’Brien and Nick Romero each added a pair of hits. O’Brien also hit his second home- run of the season for the Aztecs.
Mustang starter Evan Reed went just two innings, allowing three runs and four hits. The loss went to Thomas Eager, who came out of the game after San Diego State had loaded the bases in the eighth.
In Saturday’s game, Van Ostrand hit a two-run shot in the first inning and a solo blast in the third to give Cal Poly a 3-0 lead.
San Diego State cut the Mustangs’ lead to 3-1 in the fifth on a solo home run by shortstop Nick Romero.
Cal Poly scored its final run in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk drawn by left fielder Jacob Luque. Van Ostrand drew a walk, Josh Lansford singled and the Aztecs walked designated hitter Bryan Kepner intentionally before issuing the bases-loaded RBI walk to Luque.
Walker went 2-for-4 while Van Ostrand was 2-for-3 as Cal Poly won despite being outhit 7-6. Lansford and shortstop Gilbert Gil, who was 4-for-4 Friday night, had the other Mustang hits Saturday.
Junior right-hander Bud Norris picked up his third win without a loss, allowing one run and three hits in six innings with four walks and seven strikeouts. Casey Fien pitched 1.1 scoreless innings and Rocky Roquet picked up his fourth save, allowing just one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings.
On Friday, junior right-hander Gary Daley Jr. allowed one run and four hits in seven innings for his second victory and Cal Poly belted three home runs en route to an 11-2 victory over San Diego State.
Daley struck out a career-high nine batters and walked six as the Mustangs improved to 8-2 on the season. San Diego State fell to 2-6.
Freshman right-hander Eric Massingham pitched the final two innings in relief of Daley, striking out two.
Senior shortstop Gil had a perfect 4-for-4 night at the plate, including two doubles and a two-run home run in the second inning for Cal Poly.
Junior third baseman Lansford added three hits while second baseman Walker and designated hitter Luque each had two hits as the Mustangs outhit head coach Tony Gwynn’s San Diego State Aztecs 13-8.
The Nos. 7-8-9 hitters in Cal Poly’s lineup Friday combined for seven hits and each one belted a home run.
After Cal Poly scored two unearned runs in the first inning on a dropped fly ball in the outfield, Gil’s home run down the left field line gave the Mustangs a 4-0 lead in the second frame.
Catcher Matt Canepa’s three-run shot to left in the third inning gave the Mustangs a 7-0 cushion and Luque added a solo shot in the fifth frame.
Walker’s RBI single later in the fifth inning resulted in a 9-0 Mustang lead and Cal Poly added two more runs in the seventh on bases-loaded walks.
San Diego State averted a shutout with solo home runs by shortstop Romero in the seventh inning and by catcher Jordan Swaydan in the eighth.
Swaydan and second baseman Sam Pepper each had two of the Aztecs’ eight hits.
Cal Poly reached double figures in hits for the fifth straight game.
Cal Poly, which has played its last three series on the road, returns home for its next two series, hosting Santa Clara next weekend and the University of San Diego in two weeks.