April 21, 2018
San Jose, Calif.--- The San Jose State University baseball team (15-22) came from behind to win 5-3 in extra innings behind two pitching gems at UC Riverside (15-18) Saturday night.
The Spartans used just two arms in 12 innings at the Riverside Sports Complex.
Fineas Del Bonta-Smith (2-3) recorded his second win this season when he threw seven strikeouts with one walk in 4.0 innings. He faced 13 batters and allowed just one hit.
Andrew Mitchel started pitching 8.0 innings and allowed two earned runs with a career-high 11 strikeouts and just one walk.
"Mitchel and Finn were unbelievable," said interim head coach Brad Sanfilippo. "It was our best pitching performance of the year. They really deserved to win, and the team pulled through for them."
The Spartans tied the game up 3-3 in the eighth inning when Kyle Morrison singled to the shortstop with one out and scoring Brett Bautista (3-for-6, 2R, RBI) from third with the tying score.
In the Spartans' 12th, Kellen Strahm (2-for-6, R, RBI) had the go-ahead hit to go up 4-3 on the Highlanders. Strahm singled to right center with one out and scored Bautista from second.
"Kellen is such a gifted athlete," said Sanfilippo. "He has got a competitive temperament. When he is in those clutch situations, I am confident he can get the job done. That is what separates the good players from the great ones."
Then Shane Timmons tripled to center field with one out to score Strahm for the 5-3 lead.
Timmons went 2-for-5 with two RBI's and scored one run. In the Spartans' fourth, the senior tied it up 1-1 when he homered to left field. With that home run, Timmons is one homer behind John Fagan on the San Jose State career all-time home runs list with 24.
In UC Riverside's 12th, Del Bonta-Smith walked the leadoff hitter Yeager Taylor to start the inning. He then struck out Avventino for the first out. Cody Sporrer then grounded out to Aaron Pleschner (0-for-4, BB) for a 6-3 double play to end the game.
The rubber match will start tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. You can follow the live stats here and live video here.