USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – San José State set a season-high with three home runs in Friday's series-opener at Air Force but it was the Falcons who ultimately earned an 11-6 victory.
The Spartans plated three runs in the eighth inning and another in the ninth but were unable to complete the comeback attempt. Friday's meeting marked the first of four games at the Academy this weekend.
SJSU first baseman Ruben Ibarra enjoyed another tremendous day at the plate, leading his team with three RBI while scoring a pair of runs himself. Ibarra smashed his 10th and 11th homers of the season in the third and eighth innings, moving himself into a tie for the Mountain West lead in home runs despite having played 11 fewer games than the co-leader.
okay this is getting a little ridiculous.@salty_rube goes big fly for home run No. 1?1? on the year and he is now tied for the @MountainWest lead. pic.twitter.com/9UdleaA54W
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) May 14, 2021
The multi-home run performance marks the program's first since Brett Bautista launched two homers back on April 22, 2018 in a 14-3 win at UC Riverside.
Ibarra's 11 home runs in a single season is San José State's most since 2002, when Adam Shorsher hit 13 for the Spartans. He is now in a tie for ninth on the program's single season home run list.
Senior Jack Colette hit the club's other home run on Friday in the top of the ninth, giving the program just its second three-home run game in the last decade. The other came on March 3, 2019 in a 22-18 victory at New Mexico.
Six pitchers toed the rubber for SJSU on Friday with sophomore Corey Sanchez making the start. Senior Sean Prozell shined out of the bullpen, working three scoreless innings in relief while striking out one and scattering two hits.
The team's defense shined early as the middle infield combined to get San José State out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the top of the second. After Sanchez induced a fly ball to shallow center for the first out of the frame, Ruben Mercado made a catch on a line drive and quickly threw to Santiago Cantu at second to double up the Falcon runner.
the CDC recommends retweeting the clip of this double play immediately #SCtop10 x #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/8f90XHWYAa
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) May 14, 2021
SJSU will now look to bounce back in Saturday's scheduled doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 11:00 a.m. (MT) at Falcon Field.