In the first of a key three-game Mountain West series, the Fresno State Bulldogs (15-17, 8-4 Mountain West) shut out the San Diego State Aztecs (10-23, 6-6 MW) by a score of 7-0.
“Tip your cap to their starter,” head coach Shaun Cole said. “He pitched pretty, pretty good… but we helped him out a lot; it looked like we missed a lot of fastballs tonight.”
Right-hander Marko Sipila (3-2, 4.82 ERA) started the game on the mound for the Aztecs as he aimed to win his third straight game as the number one starter. In his last start, Sipila earned the win as he pitched 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks with six strikeouts.
Fresno State went with righty Jack Anker (4-3, 6.75), also looking for his third straight win. Anker had 6.0 innings pitched, giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out 11.
Sipila had a slow start in the top of the first as Fresno State jumped out to an early 4-0 lead following a two RBI double to left and a two-run home run to left center field.
Anker made quick work of the Aztecs in the bottom of the inning with a one-two-three inning and struck out the last two batters he faced.
The top of the second was much better for Sipila as he faced only four batters and did not give up a hit or run. Sipilia had a solid next four innings on the mound as he did not allow any runs and two hits while he struck out five.
While Sipila’s strong pitching allowed SDSU to have a chance to cut into the deficit, getting hits or any base runner off Anker proved to be a big task. In the righty’s next four innings, he walked one and struck out eight Aztecs, including striking out the side in the bottom of the fourth. Anker allowed only two hits, from shortstop Finley Bates and center fielder Jake Jackson.
In Sipila’s sixth inning on the mound, he struck out the lead off batter but gave up back-to-back singles, with the last one just past the reach of a diving Bates.
With runners at the corners, Fresno State extended its lead to 5-0 on a groundout to second base, but that was all the offense as Sipila got out of the inning.
Anker continued to breeze through his outing as he struck out the final two batters in his third three-up, three-down inning.
Even with a climbing pitch count, Sipila stayed on the mound in the top of the seventh and got a quick first out. However, Fresno third baseman Murf Gray crushed a solo home run to left field to further extend the lead to 6-0. While Sipila got a key strikeout in the following at bat, he was taken out of the game after the next batter reached base on a fielding error.
The righty finished his outing with 6.2 innings pitched, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. He was replaced on the mound by lefty Luka Pintar (0-0, 5.19 ERA).
Pintar gave up an RBI double to right field that further extended the lead to 7-0 in favor of Fresno State.
SDSU could not solve Anker as he pitched his second straight one-two-three inning, striking out two and only throwing nine pitches.
The Aztecs had a new pitcher on the mound in the top of the eighth in righty Peyton Rogers (1-2, 5.83 ERA). Rogers pitched a perfect inning as he struck out the side.
Anker remained on the mound in the bottom of the eighth as he silenced the SDSU bats in a gem of a start. He threw only 12 pitches on his way to another three-up, three-down inning, where he capped it off with his 16th strikeout of the game.
The eighth was the righty’s final inning as he pitched a stellar 8.0 shutout innings, only allowing two hits and one walk while striking out 16.
In the top of the ninth, Rogers pitched his second straight one-two-three inning for a strong relief outing.
Righty Jared Galang (0-2, 15.63 ERA) was brought in at the top of the ninth but he only threw two pitches as he hit catcher Evan Sipe. The Bulldogs made a pitching change with righty Tyler Patrick (0-1, 1.72) entering the game.
Xavier Farnum pinch hit for shortstop Evan Escobar and he was also hit by the pitch. With runners on first and second and no outs, SDSU had a perfect chance to mount a comeback. However, Bates grounded into a double play, putting the Aztecs down to their final out, which happened when left fielder Jonathan Smith flew out to right field.
The 7-0 loss drops SDSU to 10-24, 6-7 MW, while Fresno State improves to 16-17, 9-4 MW. Anker earned the win to improve to 5-3, while Spilia was credited with the loss, dropping him to 3-3.
“Losing Friday night at home is never good,” Cole said. “So offense and Omar has to come out, do a good job, and set the tone in the first inning.”
