SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose State baseball split a Saturday doubleheader against Utah Valley, dropping the first game 6-5 in 13 innings before responding with a big offensive showing in the night cap to win 10-1.
The Spartans improved to 5-6 on the season and will look to take the series over the Wolverines outright tomorrow.
Game one saw the Spartans jump out to an early lead 4-0 lead through two innings, but four late Wolverine runs, including two in the top of the ninth forced extra innings. The game started with a bang as SJSU struck for three runs on five hits in the first inning with Troy Viola and Johnny Mendoza both plating runs on RBI singles. Reece Hernandez tacked on another run in the second with a RBI single of his own.
The Spartans held a 5-3 lead entering the ninth inning, but the Wolverines tied the game with a solo homerun and RBI single. For the second-straight game, SJSU right fielder James Shimashita made a sensational defensive play, catching a flyout for the second out and throwing a dart to Mendoza at the plate to tag out the go-ahead run and end the inning.
Neither team was able to score for the next three innings until Utah Valley scratched across what would be the clinching run in the top of the 13th on a RBI double. Jonathan Wiltfang, who worked the final 3.0 innings was charged with the loss. The Spartan pitching staff combined for 17 strikeouts in the loss, headed by starter Kevin Kyle's career-best seven in his 4.0 innings of work.
Hernandez and Viola each finished with three hits with Viola needing just a homer to complete the cycle. The senior was 3-for-7 with a double, triple, an RBI and run scored.
The Spartans left 14 runners aboard and tallied 11 hits for the contest.
Game two started out similar as once again, the Spartans jumped out to a 4-0 lead. This time it was due to the long ball, as freshman Dalton Bowling knocked out a 3-run shot to left-center for the first home run of his collegiate career.
Unlike in the previous game, however, when Utah Valley responded with a run of their own, the Spartans struck back to keep the pressure on. The Wolverines found the scoreboard for the first and only time in the fifth inning, but SJSU responded with two runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and three more in the eighth to finish with a dominating 10-1 advantage.
Bowling had his best game in a Spartan uniform as he finished 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, four RBI and two runs scored. Ruben Ibarra also went 2-for-4 and scored two runs of his own to go with a RBI double.
The Spartan pitching staff was exceptional in game two as they held Utah Valley to five hits while striking out 12. Starter Sean Prozell picked up his first-career win after working six full innings with eight strikeouts and three walks against while scattering five hits. Dom Eberle replaced him in the seventh and worked three shutout innings with no hits allowed and just walk issued against four strikeouts as he picked up his first career save.
With a 2-1 lead, SJSU will look to win the series outright tomorrow as they host the finale beginning at 12:00 p.m. PT.
