ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It took 4:52 minutes and 40 combined runs, but San Jose State baseball finally outlasted New Mexico in the series finale with a final score of 22-18 Sunday at Santa Ana Star Field.
The Spartans tallied 26 hits in the win, which are the most since recording 30 at New Mexico State on May 8, 2009. The team's 22 runs were the most since plating 31 vs. Chicago State on March 18, 2009.
Kellen Strahm, the Mountain West's batting average leader, was sensational at the plate finishing 5-for-6 with four RBI, two stolen bases and a 3-run homerun in the in the fourth inning. The junior outfield from Eugene, Oregon, is the first player with a 5-hit game this season and the first Spartan to do so since Shane Timmons at Santa Clara on April 10, 2018.
The Spartans led 15-4 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning before New Mexico exploded for eight runs in the home half of the seventh. Both teams tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth and SJSU added four more in the ninth highlighted by Troy Viola's first homerun of his SJSU career, a two-run shot inside the pole in right, to lead 22-14.
New Mexico refused to go down without a fight and scored four runs off of Spartans' closer Fineas Del Bonta-Smith in the ninth, however Bonta-Smith held on to the lead and picked up his second save of the season.
Six Spartan batters finished the day with multi-hit games. Freshmen James Shimashita and Brandon Peterson each finished 4-for-6, Blake Berry and Nico Malbrough laced three hits apiece and Connor Konishi finished 2-for-4 with two walks and a double.
Shimashita scored four runs, had two RBI and laced a pair of extra-base hits, including a solo homerun in the third, the first of his career and the first by any Spartan this season. Berry tallied four RBI and scored a pair of runs, Peterson drove in three runs and scored two of his own and Malbrough scored three runs and plated two more.
SJSU reliever Jonathan Clark picked up his first win on the bump to improve to 1-0 on the season. He tossed 1.2 shutout innings with just one hit surrendered. Spartans starter Ben Polack allowed four runs over 2.2 innings. Mitchell Miller, Anders Davidson, Wesley Clawson and Josh Zanger all chipped in on the mound in relief duty.
The loss was charged to Lobos' starter Brian Coffey after surrendering four runs on six hits in 2.2 innings. New Mexico also laced a trio of homeruns, two coming from designated hitter Jeff Deimling who finished 4-for-5 with six RBI.
The Spartans return to their home diamond Tuesday vs. the University of San Francisco at 5:30 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.
