Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Diego State
'Dogs Walk-Off to 5-4 Win
4/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By: Matt Burkholder
mburkholder@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - Kevin Viers lifted Fresno State past San Diego State with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th to secure an opening night 5-4 win over its conference rival Friday night at Beiden Field. The Bulldogs have won three-straight.
"We were going into extras and since I was the leadoff guy, I just wanted to get on for the team, just get on base," said Viers. "If it happened to be a home run, it just happens sometimes. I just wanted to get the next guy up. Manny (Argomaniz) was on deck and I knew he would come up clutch, too, if I was on base."
In the extra frame, Viers hit the second pitch offered by Aztecs closer CJ Saylor, a pitcher who had struck out six of the last eight batters faced since entering to start the eighth. Viers went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI on the night.
Garrett Mundell provided a perfect relief outing to put Fresno State in position for the walk-off. The senior captain struck out five of the six batters he faced, retiring the side in the ninth and 10th innings.
"Last Sunday, that's exactly what he did, too," said head coach Mike Batesole. "He just stood tall for three innings and said, 'Here it comes' and you have to love that when your seniors take control like that. You haven't seen him pitch with confidence like that his first three years here and now that confidence is just coming out. You can see it and you can feel it and that's really fun to have that in a closer."
The Fresno State offense got off to hot start against SDSU starter Bubba Derby, striking for four runs over the first three innings. The first two came in the opening frame when Kenny Corey hit a two-out two-RBI single in a bases loaded situation.
"You have to know when you're going to face Bubba that you better show up from the first pitch to the last one and those two-strike at-bats, those were some good battles and he beat us on some of them, too," Batesole said.
Korby Batesole provided the Bulldogs' next run in the second as he connected for his first collegiate home run, a solo shot leading off the second inning. Ryan Dobson hit a sacrifice fly in the third, pushing across Viers, who led off the inning with his fifth double of the season.
Jake Shull got the start for Fresno State and lasted six innings on the bump before giving way to Tim Borst to provide middle relief. Shull allowed three runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked three in this third start of the season. He was tagged for two runs in the third off the bat of Seby Zavala, who hit his eighth home run of the season.
San Diego State scored one more in the sixth and another in the seventh to tie the game, 4-4.
The series resumes on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. Fresno State is projected to start Anthony Arias (1-1, 4.82 ERA) against the Aztecs' Mark Seyler (7-2, 3.32 ERA).
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