Box Score Stockton, Calif. – In their last home game before a stretch in which they will play ten of 11 on the road, the Pacific Tigers defeated South Dakota State 5-2 thanks to a two-run sixth inning and shutdown relief work by a plethora of pitchers. The Tigers are now 5-8 on the season. Since losing their first four games to Cal Poly, Pacific has gone 5-4, including 5-3 at home. South Dakota State drops to 0-11 with the loss.
Jordon Gonzalez got his fourth career start for Pacific and pitched two scoreless innings as the Tigers looked to lessen the load on their arms in the mid-week game. Fineas Del Bonta-Smith and Gonzalez each pitched two innings and struck out two.
In all, the Tigers used seven pitchers in the game, with only one of those allowing a run and all but one recording a strikeout. In the last four innings of the game, South Dakota State had just two baserunners.
Shelby Lackey would come away with the win, the first of his career, thanks to his perfect sixth inning. The Tigers scored two in the bottom half of the inning, helping Lackey along to the win. Vince Arobio earned his second save in the last three days.
South Dakota State, playing in its second game of the day after losing to Sacramento State earlier, started Eldon Evans for the third time this year. Evans gave up three runs in 5.2 innings of work, striking out six but also allowing eight hits. Evans is now 0-3 this year.
Louis Mejia extended his hitting streak to five games with a 1-for-3 night. The senior second baseman is 8-for-18 in that time with four runs scored.
Kevin Sandri had the first hit of the night, making it hits in eight of the last nine games after Pacific's shortstop had his team-best seven-game hit streak snapped on Sunday. The freshman beat the throw to second on a fielder's choice to make it two on a few batters later. Danny Mayer hit a hot shot on the ground that bounced up into the pitcher's mitt thanks to some quick reflexes. Evans tried to get Sandri at first but the shortstop was fast enough to get under the tag.
J.J. Wagner singled in the second inning top put pressure on South Dakota State once again. J.P. Yakel was hit by a pitch to give Pacific two baserunners once again but the Tigers couldn't quite push a run across and take the lead. Yakel reached base in all three of his trips to the plate with a single and two HBPs. Pacific's catcher now has four hits, three walks, and three HBPs in the last four games, good for a .769 OBP.
The Tigers made it three straight innings with a runner in scoring position when Mayer singled and stole second in the third. Mayer now has two stolen bases in three attempts this year after having zero attempts his first two years. The single was Mayer's only hit of the game. Mayer had recorded at least one extra-base hit against every opponent previously this year and hit .533/.588/.667 last week.
Lucas Halstead gave the Tigers the lead with his second RBI of the year, singling past a diving second baseman to push Mayer home. Halstead, who began the year hitting in the leadoff spot, also drove in a run against Northwestern earlier this season. Mayer's run was his 11th, the most of any Tiger.
Del Bonta-Smith fought out of a jam in the fourth to keep South Dakota State off the board. The freshman reliever was faced with men on first and third with no outs before getting two straight strikeouts and a flyout to end the inning. Del Bonta-Smith has now struck out multiple batters in two of his six appearances this year.
The first spot of trouble for Pacific came in the fifth. South Dakota State started the inning with a single, followed by a double off the wall by Newt Johnson. Halstead made a fine play to get the first out but the ball was deep enough to tie the game at one run each. Justin Giovannoni was able to get out of the inning but not before a bloop single made it 2-1 South Dakota State.
Lackey came into the game in the sixth and immediately went to work on the Jackrabbit hitters. Lackey struck out the first man he faced and got out of the inning 1-2-3, forcing two weak grounders as well. Lackey was one of three Pacific pitchers to not allow a baserunner in the game, joining Will Lydon and Arobio in that distinction.
Jimmy Boras' six-game hitting streak came to a close in the game after he was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the sixth with two men on. McKay Koissian, who went up to bat for Boras, made the most of his opportunity by walking to load the bases and set up Sandri with a scoring opportunity.
Sandri did his part as he singled to left two pitches later to give the lead back to Pacific and chase Evans from the game. The shortstop dropped a liner into leftfield in front of the defense as Yakel hustled to score from second behind Wagner to make it 3-2.
Now with the lead, Pacific turned to regular Friday starter Lydon to keep it that way. The junior righty didn't disappoint, striking out his first two and getting a one-pitch groundout to retire the side in order in the seventh.
Jake Jenkins, usually a starter for Pacific, made his second relief appearance of the year right after that and picked up where Lydon left off with two strikeouts of his own in his one inning of work building a bridge to Arobio in the ninth.
The Tigers stretched their lead to three with two runs in the eighth. Two bloop flyballs fell perfectly between converging fielders, giving Koissian an RBI double and Sandri an RBI single. Sandri ended the day 3-for-5 with 3 RBI, while Koissian reached base in both his trips to the plate.
Now with a three-run cushion, Arobio mowed down South Dakota State with ease, retiring the side in order while recording two strikeouts en route to his second save of the year.
The Tigers head off on their second weekend road trip next. Pacific will play four games against the Washington Huskies in Seattle. The first game will be on Friday at 5:00 pm. The Tigers will play a doubleheader Saturday, with the games beginning at 1:00 pm and approximately 5:00 pm. The Sunday game will be played at 1:00 pm. The whole series will have live video streams available online.
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