April 7, 2007
SAN DIEGO – San Diego State completed the series sweep with a 13-6 win over New Mexico today at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs out-hit the Lobos 24-8 to earn their first series sweep against UNM since May 15-16, 2003.
SDSU used five singles in the second to score the first two runs of the game. In the fourth, an Aaron Brady double and a Mike Willeford single tacked on another run, scoring Brian Lucas for a 3-0 lead.
The Lobos pounded out their first hits in the fifth, recording singles from Matt Hibbitts and Scott Gracey. Gracey’s single with the bases loaded and two outs plated two runners, cutting the Lobos’ deficit to one runs (3-2). But two SDSU hits and a UNM error erased the damage the Lobos had done as the Aztecs scored two of their own in the bottom of the inning.
Derek Pilkington hit New Mexico’s second home run of the series with a solo shot to right in the sixth. In the eighth, Jordan Pacheco blasted a two-run homer and Daniel Stovall followed with a bomb of his own, marking the second time this season the duo has gone yard back-to-back. However, SDSU scored five in the sixth and three in the eighth, clinching the win.
Hibbitts was the sole Lobo to finish with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with run scored. Pacheco and Gracey both finished with a team-leading two RBI, going 1-for-4. Lucas led SDSU, going 4-for-4 with three runs while Brady and Willeford were both 4-for-5.
Bruce Billings (2-1) rebounded from his lone loss of the season last weekend against UNM, earning the win today. He allowed three runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Adam Skelton, making his first start as a Lobo, suffered the loss. He gave up eight runs (six earned) on 14 hits and one walk with one strikeout in 5.1 innings.
The Lobos (14-21, 3-6 MWC) return to action next weekend, playing a three-game series at Air Force starting Friday at 2 p.m.