SAN JOSE, Calif. – Despite an early home run from Rocco Caballero and a late-inning rally, the San José State baseball team (4-8, 0-0 Mountain West) fell to the Pacific Tigers (6-6, 0-0 WCC) by a score of 11-5 on Tuesday night at Excite Ballpark.
The Spartans jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when Caballero launched a solo home run to left field. Pacific tied the game in the second, but SJSU regained momentum in the third. Rohne Klein sparked the inning with a double to left field and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Caballero to bring the score to 3-2 in favor of the Tigers.
SJSU added another run in the sixth inning when Alex Fernandes and Jake McCoy hit back-to-back singles. Alan Ramirez then drove Fernandes home with a sacrifice fly to right field, cutting the deficit at the time to 5-3.
The Spartans refused to go quietly in the ninth inning, scoring two runs on two hits. After Ramirez singled and advanced on an error, Matteo Mendoza reached on a fielding error that allowed Ramirez to cross the plate. Klein followed up with an RBI single up the middle to score Mendoza, though the comeback effort ultimately fell short.
Caballero: Accounted for much of the Spartans’ early production, finishing with his first home run of the season in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the third inning to total two RBIs, and now has a team-leading 11 on the season to go along with 12 hits.
Fernandes: Reached base safely in three separate plate appearances, finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored and leads the team with a .444 batting avg. and a .533 slugging pct., plus leads the team with 20 hits and 13 runs scored.
Klein: Had a 2-for-4 day, including a double and an RBI single in the ninth inning.
UP NEXT: The Spartans host Pitt for three games starting on Friday at 3:05 p.m. from Excite Ballpark.
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