SAN DIEGO — Pinch-hitter Tyler Adkison beat out a potential bases-loaded double-play in the bottom of the 10th, lifting San Diego State to a 2-1 walk-off victory over West Virginia late Saturday night.
The Mountaineers fell to 2-3 and have led in the seventh inning of each loss. Reliever Trevor Simms (0-1) created the 10th-inning jam by hitting two batters, intentionally walking another and throwing a wild pitch. Joby Lapkowicz nearly vanquished the threat by coaxing Adkison’s ground ball to third base, but West Virginia couldn’t turn the 5-4-3 double play in time.
“We’re going to play a lot of games like that this year. We have good pitching and we’re going to face a lot of good pitching,” coach Randy Mazey said. “When you play games like that you just can’t make mistakes. Every mistake you make can cost you the game, and both runs we gave up were on mental mistakes.”
Right-hander Sean Carley remained winless after two starts despite allowing no earned runs over 13 innings. His hurried off-target throw to first base on a two-out come-backer in the seventh inning gave San Diego State its tying run.
The Air Force transfer struck out nine, walked none and scattered seven singles in seven innings.
“Sean’s going to give us an opportunity to win every game he pitches,” Mazey said. “He pounds the strike zone with three different pitches. If this game was later in the year when his pitch count is up, he may go the distance and we may win the game.”
Aztecs starter Bubba Derby matched Carley by fanning seven while throwing eight innings of four-hit ball. His only blight came in the sixth when WVU’s Taylor Munden drilled a lead-off double against the left-field wall and eventually scored on McBroom’s two-out single, the first baseman’s ninth RBI of the young season.
Each team failed to capitalize on ninth-inning chances.
West Virginia had runners on first and second with one out, but Shaun Wood flied out and Cam O’Brien bounced into a fielder’s choice.
San Diego State’s Ty France led off the last of the ninth with a single against Simms and was bunted to second base. But O’Brien threw out France at third when Steven Pallares struck out on a third strike that skipped away.
Sunday’s rubber match of the three-game series is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern.