March 20, 2015
FRESNO, Calif. - San Jose State's baseball team was outhit 14-5 by host Fresno State and still managed to put the go-ahead run on base in the ninth before falling 6-4 in the series opener at Beiden Field.
"We didn't have good at-bats today. I think the credit goes to them for the pitching, maybe," said Spartans' head coach Dave Nakama. "They gave us opportunities and we had guys on base, but we just didn't come through. I think we had the bases loaded a couple times and struck out, so we have to do a better job with guys on base."
Kalei Contrades (2-3) worked 6.0 innings and took the loss, allowing a career-high 12 hits and matching a season high of four earned runs.
Six Fresno State pitchers saw action on the night, with none lasting more than Dylan Lee's 2.2 innings. Lee (2-2), the originally announced Saturday starter, picked up the win in relief and Jake Shull worked the final 1.1 innings to nail down his fifth save of the year.
The Spartans mustered only five hits on the night and only two in the last six innings. Chris Williams led the effort with a two-hit night, his third of the season and second in as many games. Andre Mercurio, David Campbell, and Dillan Smith collected the other three hits.
Fresno State starter Jimmy Lambert retired Mercurio and Turtle Kuhulua on just four pitches to start the game, but a 2-0 pitch to Brett Bautista was grounded to shortstop McCarthy Tatum, whose throw sailed into the Spartans' dugout for a two-base error. Campbell then lined Lambert's 1-1 offering into left field and Bautista slid in just ahead of Austin Guibor's throw for a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, Aaron Arruda led off with a base hit to left and Kevin Viers sent the next pitch over the right field wall for a 2-1 Bulldogs lead. The runs were the first allowed by Contrades since the sixth inning of his start at San Diego State, a span of 18.0 consecutive innings.
The Spartans took the lead right back in the top of the next frame, when Tyler Olivet drew a leadoff walk and Mercurio hooked Lambert's 2-0 delivery around the right field foul pole for a 3-2 lead. The blast was the second of the season for Mercurio, who owns both San Jose State home runs this year.
The Spartans' lead held until the bottom of the fifth, when the Bulldogs rallied for another pair of runs. Leadoff man Austin Buibor got it going with a solo shot to right to tie the game, and back-to-back hits and a Contrades throwing error plated the go-ahead run.
Contrades departed after 6.0 innings, and Fresno State tacked on a pair of runs off Myles Richard in the seventh on a two-run double to left by Brody Russell.
San Jose State made it interesting in the ninth off Shull, the Bulldogs' closer. Williams led off the inning with a base hit, moved to second on a Smith groundout and scored on a fielding error by FSU's shortstop. Pinch-hitter Shane Timmons then drew a walk to represent the tying run on base, and Andre Mercurio reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Shull settled in struck out Kuhualua and Bautista swinging in consecutive at-bats to seal the 6-4 win, however.
Game two of the series gets underway on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. The Spartans send Matt Brown (1-2, 2.50) to the mound and the Bulldogs counter with lefty Anthony Arias (1-0, 8.71).