SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose State baseball improved to 4-1 on the season with a 9-1 win over UC Riverside in the series opener Friday at Municipal Stadium.
Freshman Ben Polack was outstanding in his second career start, throwing 5.0 innings of shutout ball with six strikeouts while allowing just two hits and two walks issued. He picked up his first collegiate win.
The Spartans struck first in the second inning on a RBI sac fly by Aaron Pleschner that plated Troy Viola. SJSU was held hitless through the first four innings before Kellen Strahm laced their first hit on a single up the middle. Strahm finished the night 2-for-5 with a RBI and stole a pair of bases.
Viola plated a pair in the bottom of the fourth on a double down the left field line to extend the lead to 3-0. Two more runs came across in the sixth as a passed ball allowed Pleschner to score from third and Blake Berry plated Strahm with a RBI single.
In the eighth, it was Johnny Mendoza that broke the game wide open on a 2-RBI single for the 8-0 advantage. Berry plated the Spartans' final run on double play ball to lead 9-0.
The Highlanders (1-5) got one back in the ninth off of reliever Josh Zanger, but that was all he allowed. Zanger took over in the sixth inning and went the distance to pick up his second save of the season.
The Spartans finished with eight hits on the evening led by Strahm, Berry and Mendoza, who all finished with two hits.
UC Riverside starter Riley Ohl (1-1) was charged with the loss allowing one run in 3.0 innings of work.
Game two of the series will be played Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.
