San Diego State averaged 11 runs a game during its three-game sweep of Air Force last month.
That’s how many runs top-seeded SDSU scored late Saturday night against Air Force. The Aztecs needed most of them to stay alive in the Mountain West Championship.
SDSU rallied from seven runs down for an 11-8 win over Air Force at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.
“They’re brothers, they’re family, they fought like hell,” SDSU coach Kevin Vance told the Mountain West Network after the game. “I’m really proud of them. That’s one of the guttiest wins I’ve seen in a long time. Backs against the wall. That’s when we played our best. They want to keep playing together.”
The Aztecs will play Washington State for the MW title on Sunday, needing two victories to claim the conference crown and automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Tournament.
The Aztecs, who didn’t have a base runner until the fifth inning against Air Force, came all the way back from an 8-1 deficit with a five-run six inning and two-run seventh.
SDSU’s Jabin Trosky got the rally started with a two-run home run, just his second homer of the season.
“We were down big, and we decided to fight, one (inning) at a time,” Trosky said. “Not trying to do to much. Not trying to be the hero. Just stick within. We’ve got a good core group of guys and we’re doing it for each other.”
Mountain West Player of the Year Jake Jackson delivered a two-run double in the eighth to give SDSU the lead, then came around on teammate Zach Justice’s single for the 11th run.
SDSU reliever Jake Frohn (2-3) limited Air Force to one run with five strikeouts over the final 3 2/3 innings for the win. He had help from catcher Zach Justice, who threw out three base runners to blunt the Falcons’ potent running game.
Earlier Saturday, Washington State defeated SDSU 14-9 to put the Aztecs’ turnaround season in jeopardy.
SDSU actually scored five first-inning runs, but the big lead was short-lived.
Justice highlighted the Aztecs’ five-run first with a two-run single. Although staked to the big lead, SDSU starting pitcher Bryce McKnight soon found trouble. McKnight allowed six hits — two singles, two doubles, a triple and a homer — and the Aztecs made two errors as Washington State sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning.
Washington State answered an inning later with eight runs in the second inning. SDSU got two runs back in the bottom of the second to make it 8-7, but the Cougars scored six runs over the next two innings against reliever Carson Johnson for a 14-7 advantage.
The Aztecs’ bullpen shut out Washington State over the final five innings. The deficit was too big to overcome, although SDSU rallied for a run in the ninth and had the bases loaded before Cougars closer August Richie retired Jackson on an infield grounder to end the game.
Now SDSU gets another shot at Washington State.
Trosky said they view the team in the other dugout as a “nameless, faceless opponent.”
“It doesn’t matter who we play,” he said. “We’re going to have our same process every time and fight for each other. We know how good we are, and we’re going to show that tomorrow.”