San Diego State baseball’s first game in the first-ever Tony Gwynn Classic did not go as they would have hoped, falling to Bryant University 10-2 Friday night.
The loss puts the Aztecs at 1-5 on the season, and is their second loss in a row after falling to University of San Diego on Thursday.
Bryant, traveling just under 2,700 miles all the way from Rhode Island, scored one quick run in the first inning before exploding in the second for five runs.
After a wild pitch put the game at 2-0 in favor of the Bulldogs, a bases-loaded double coming off the bat of senior first baseman and cleanup hitter Robby Rinn followed by another two-base knock by senior catcher Buck McCarthy put Bryant up 6-0 before SDSU even had a chance to get their second at-bats.
Both doubles also came with two outs.
“Our guys got to finish. It’s as simple as it gets,” head coach Mark Martinez said. “We’ve given up 15 runs with two outs. It’s a mindset that’s putting people away.
“We’re just not finishing.”
Things went quiet from then until the fifth inning, where both squads traded runs after Bryant hit back-to-back doubles in the top half. In the bottom half, a triple down the right field line by sophomore catcher Hunter Stratton scored freshman designated hitter Dean Nevarez.
The Aztecs put another run across in the bottom of the sixth on a balk by Bulldogs sophomore pitcher James Karinchak to put the score at 7-2. They had a chance to close the gap even more, but freshman first basemen Jordan Verdon struck out with a runner on third to end the inning.
Bryant scored three more runs in the seventh and ninth innings to put the nail in the coffin on SDSU’s chances of reaching the tournament championship.
Junior lefty pitcher Marcus Reyes had a tough outing against Bryant’s right-handed heavy lineup and took the loss, giving up seven earned runs and eight hits in just four and a third innings. He was outdone by Karinchak, who pitched six innings and gave up two earned runs while striking out six.
The Aztecs still have one more game in the Tony Gwynn Classic. They’re set to go up against University of Kentucky after they lost to UC Santa Barbara earlier on Friday. Bryant plays UCSB tomorrow. The winner of that game goes on to play either University of San Diego or Tulane University in the championship on Sunday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
