SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose State baseball clinched their second-straight conference series on Saturday, defeating UNLV 6-5 to clinch the series at Municipal Stadium. The Spartans saw a 6-0 lead quickly disappear as the Rebels chipped away late in the game, but were able to hold on to improve to 11-7, 5-3 on the season.
SJSU scored three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth inning, and all came in the form of a double. Johnny Mendoza was first as he plated Blake Berry and Kellen Strahm for the game's first run on a rope to the gap in right-center. Troy Viola followed suit in the next at-bat as he plated Mendoza on a near-identical shot to the right-center gap.
In the fifth inning, it was Strahm that sent a shot to deep center that bounced off the wall and scored Aaron Pleschner. Strahm then scored himself as James Shimashita turned on a 1-0 count fastball and laced a double to right field and give the Spartans a 5-0 lead.
Nico Malbrough scored the Spartans' final run in the sixth inning on a fielder's choice off the bat of Pleschner.
UNLV (11-9, 2-3) responded with a four-run seventh inning to cut the deficit to 6-4. Jack-Thomas Wold doubled home two runs and two more scored on Duke Pahukua's single to left-center.
Fineas Del Bonta-Smith took the mound in the ninth looking to close the game out, however his first pitch was belted over the wall in left-center by Wold to make it a one-run game at 6-5. Bonta-Smith responded well, however, and struck out his final two batters to end the threat and pick up his fourth save of the season.
Spartans starting pitcher Tevin Cadola improved to 3-0 on the year after 6.0 innings of work in which he scattered eight hits and was responsible for four runs. Wesley Clawson pitched 2.0 innings of relief duty and got the Spartans out of a big jam in the seventh inning to prevent any more runs to come across.
The Spartan pitchers stranded 11 runners on base in the win.
UNLV starter Ryan Hare (2-2) was charged with the loss after being responsible for three runs. The Rebels used four arms out of the pen in relief duty. Wold led the team in a 3-for-5 performance at the plate with three RBI, two runs scored, a double and home run.
Mendoza and Shimashita led the Spartan bats with two hits apiece. The Spartans tallied nine hits total to UNLV's 11.
SJSU goes for the series sweep Sunday at noon at Municipal Stadium.
