THIBODAUX, La. – San Jose State baseball dropped game one of their three-game weekend series at Nicholls State by a final of 3-2 as SJSU was unable to take advantage of a late eighth inning solo home run by designated hitter Blake Berry that tied the game at 2-2.
Down 2-1 entering the eighth inning, the Spartans (18-24) found themselves down to their final four outs as Berry, a junior from Petaluma stepped into the box. Berry proceeded to crush a 1-0 pitch out to deep right field to tie the game and give SJSU new hope.
Nicholls State (21-21) regained the lead in the home half of the eighth as Alec Paz laced a RBI single to plate the deciding run. The Spartans had one final shot in the ninth and Jack Colette walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Colonels then made the second of three pitching changes in the inning and induced a flyout for the second out. They went to the pen one last time for Beau Balado who struck out pinch hitter Toi Moyer for the final out.
The Spartans finished with six hits on the evening, two of which came off the bat of Blake Berry who tallied his 12th multi-hit game of the season.
Andrew Mitchel got the start on the bump and worked 6.0 innings before being lifted in favor of Nicholas Morales to start the seventh. Mitchel scattered four hits and struck out five to stretch his Mountain West strikeout lead to 90. Morales, responsible for the go-ahead run in the eighth, was charged with the loss to drop to 0-2.
Game two of the series begins tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. CT/12:00 p.m. PT.
