In the first matchup against the Aztecs, WSU got clobbered in all facets of the game. SDSU ended up better than the Cougars in runs, hits and finished with less fielding errors.
Head coach Nathan Choate attributed the loss to lack of prep prior to the game.
“At the end of the day, I’m in charge of our program and we weren’t ready to go and it pains me to say that,” he said.
The matchup was between pitchers Luke Meyers (1-2) for WSU and Rohan Lettow (2-0) for San Diego State.
WSU started the game strong in the top of the first inning scoring two runs from smart baseball. Kyler Northrop started it off by getting on base with one out from a five pitch walk. Following Northrop was outfielder Max Hartman who shot a single into center field to push Northrop into scoring position at second base. Dustin Robinson hit his fourth double of the season to bring in one run to give the Cougars an early lead. Along with the run, Hartman moved up to third with one out sending Mason Pirello up to bat. All he needed was to put a ball in play, and that’s exactly what he did. Pirello hit a groundout to the shortstop, but still scored the run from third, giving WSU a 2-0 lead. That was the best scoring inning WSU would have the rest of the night.
San Diego State, who was coming off of three-straight losses to Saint Mary’s and Cal State Fullerton, played like they had a grudge to take out against their next opponent. The Cougars suffered the wrath of the Aztecs immediately in the bottom of the first inning when San Diego State slammed five runs in. Immediate hits and mistakes from Luke Meyers gave a quick lead to SDSU. Shortstop Jabin Trosky started with a double, followed by a wild pitch sending him to third. The wild pitch seemed to not matter too much the next at bat when first baseman Max Farrell bombed a home run to left field to tie the game with zero outs. Meyers caused a flyout the next at-bat to somewhat come back into the moment, but then three-straight singles gave more momentum to the Aztecs. Zach Justice, Jake Jackson and Adam Magpoc all got on base with hits and Magpoc scored Justice with his single to take a 3-2 lead. To finish off the stellar inning from SDSU, Dawson Santana scored the remaining runners on base with a double down the left field line to take a 5-2 lead in the first inning.
WSU would not tie or take the lead at any other moment in the game.
It wouldn’t be up until the top of fourth when another run was scored, with WSU bringing in one run from a Gavin Roy single. The run was unearned after Cam Mcleod reached base from a throwing error in the infield, bringing the game closer at 5-3. But, SDSU would match the success immediately in the bottom of the inning.
WSU still was putting in an effort at this point, scoring another run later on in exciting fashion. Freshman Trevor Smith led off the inning with a triple to center field and brought a great opportunity to the Cougars. The man to bring him in was the senior Hartman who got a triple of his own to left field and put the pressure on Lettow. The junior pitcher did a great job recovering from the deep hits striking out the next two batters to only give up one more run. WSU brought it back to within two, but that would be the last run they score of the game.
The Aztecs then put the pedal to the metal, scoring a whopping eight in the next four innings, with five runs coming in the bottom of the seventh. Each run was scored with either a single or a sacrifice fly, playing to the college baseball fashion of small ball. WSU pitchers Rylan Haider, Taber Fast and Ryan Falke each gave up a run.
The final run was in the bottom of the eighth when Magpoc of SDSU scored the game winning run after a Marnell IV single to walk off the Cougars via mercy rule 14-4.
WSU finished with seven hits, five walks, nine strikeouts and four fielding errors.
The Cougars with the loss go to 6-10 with their first conference game coming as a loss.
“We just didn’t handle things the right way and it’s frustrating,” Choate said. “People have every right to be frustrated. I’m frustrated. We need to fix some things in a hurry tomorrow. So pretty pretty disappointing.”
The Cougars will try to get their revenge against SDSU at 5 p.m. Saturday.
