By Michael KlitzingAssistant Sports Editor
PROVO, Utah — Call it irony.
When the San Diego State baseball team squared off with BYU atLarry H. Miller Field over the weekend, it was SDSU that was on amission. The revenge-minded Aztecs toppled the defending MountainWest Conference Champions in the first two games of the three-gameset, 17-8 Thursday and 9-7 Friday.
“I was telling the guys to remember how they celebrated on ourfield in the conference tournament,” SDSU catcher Brian Manfred said.”I actually made the last out in that game that ended our season, soI still have that taste in my mouth. Coming out here and winning likethis feels good.”
Big innings were the norm for the Aztecs.
Friday, SDSU scored all nine of its runs between the fifth andseventh innings. Second baseman Carlo Cota and third baseman ChadCorona each drove in three.
Corona also had a sizzling start in the series Thursday, drillingtwo doubles and a line-drive home run that just cleared the wall inleft, helping the Aztecs to a seven-run first and a five-run fourth.
In short: mission accomplished.
“Coming in here and winning the first two is a step in the rightdirection,” Cota said. “It was real critical for us to get over lastyear and take it to them this year.
“We’ve had BYU in our sights all year long.”
Lights out
The circumstances seemed a little too perfect.
With Manfred batting in the top of the fifth Thursday night, andthe Aztecs leading 13-1, BYU’s only hope seemed to be a powerfailure. Lo and behold, with the game still three Cougars’ outs awayfrom being official, they got just that.
As the stadium went dark on the players, umpires and 1,176 fans inattendance, rumors began to fly.
Was BYU coach Vance Law anywhere near the circuit breaker?
“I thought some crazy fan may have done it,” Manfred said.
But all suspicions of foul play were proved to be unfounded as thelights were restored after a 20-minute delay.
Quotable
“Before my last at-bat I told the guys that we better save some ofthese hits for tomorrow. It’s kind of a superstitious thought in ourbaseball minds. We’re all kind of crazy.”
— Manfred after SDSU scored 17 runs Thursday.
Taking one for the team
Road games in the Mountain West Conference have never been tookind to SDSU pitchers — even in victory.
Case in point: While Chris Dunwell picked up his fourth win of theyear in a workman-like effort Thursday, he still felt some of thesting of baseball at altitude. Pitching the opening game of theseries and given an early cushion, the right-hander was expected toeat innings.
He responded by battling through 118 pitches over eight and athird innings, despite being touched up for eight runs (six earned)on 11 hits.
“I didn’t want to use up any more pitching here than we had to,”Dietz said. “And four of those runs he shouldn’t have been chargedwith. They were caused by bad throwing decisions in the outfield.”
But while the game may not have been kind to Dunwell’s ERA, theimportance of his performance resonated throughout the weekend. Overthe final two games of the series, the Aztecs’ bullpen was calledupon to pitch 10 innings of relief.
Ring converts
SDSU closer Royce Ring’s ninth save of the year Friday night was aspecial one on many levels.
The left-hander slammed the door on the Cougars, guaranteeing theAztecs a road-series win against their toughest rivals. But it wasalso important on a personal note.
Ring’s save was the 18th of his career — breaking MarkWilliamson’s all-time SDSU saves record.
Oftentimes in baseball, players break records without knowing it.But as he took the hill, Ring was well aware.
“After I got my last save against Air Force, people had told me Itied the record,” Ring said. “It’s nice to be able to come out and dosomething like this. I’m very proud of this accomplishment.”
