SAN JOSE, Calif. – Anthony Scheppler ripped a walk-off RBI double to right-center in the bottom of the ninth, scoring Neil Jansen from first to lead the San José State baseball team (23-27, 10-13 MW) in a 9-8 win over Fresno State (14-37-1, 3-19-1 MW) Friday afternoon from Excite Ballpark in the second game of a three game series.
San Jose State wasted little time matching Fresno State’s first-inning run when Peyton Rowles launched a solo homer to deep left in the bottom half of the inning. The Bulldogs answered with two RBI knocks in the second, but the Spartans then grabbed momentum in the bottom half when Rocco Caballero lined a two-run double into left-center, bringing home Jansen and Matteo Mendoza for a 3-3 tie.
Jake McCoy drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth to give the Spartans their first lead of the game. In the seventh, Rowles delivered an RBI single before JC Osorio-Agard added another run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, pushing the Spartans ahead 6-3.
Fresno State responded in the eighth inning. After SJSU gave up three walks, the Bulldogs hit a bases-clearing two-out double to tie the game at six. In the bottom half of the frame, pinch hitter Rohne Klein put the Spartans back in front with a leadoff solo homer, making it a 7-6 ballgame.
In the ninth, after a throwing error put the leadoff Bulldog in scoring position, Fresno State hit a two run home run, briefly putting them in front 8-7. However, the Spartans had one final answer. Osorio-Agard crushed a game-tying solo homer to left in the bottom of the ninth before Jansen singled to put the winning run on base. Two batters later, Scheppler lined the walk-off double into the gap to score the winning run and seal the victory.
On the mound, starter Jesse Gutierrez allowed three runs on six hits while striking out seven across 5.2 innings. Peter Herrick and Kyle Calzadiaz combined for 2.1 innings of relief to bridge the game into the ninth. EJ McGrew (2-2) earned the win despite Fresno State briefly taking the lead in the ninth.
- This was the Spartans’ fifth walk-off win this season
- Rowles finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs
- This was Rowles sixth game this season with three or more hits
- Rowles’ home run was his second of the season
- Osorio-Agard and Caballero each had two RBIs
- Osorio-Agard’s home run was his sixth of the season
- Klein’s home run was his fourth of the season
- Alex Fernandes extended his hitting streak to 13 games
- Gutierrez’s seven strikeouts set a new season-high
- McGrew’s win was his ninth in two seasons as a Spartan
- With the win, the Spartans remain alive for the final spot in the Mountain West Tournament
UP NEXT: The Spartans will host Fresno State at Excite Ballpark for senior day tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. The game can be watched on Mountain West Network.
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