SDSU right fielder had a four RBI night to bring the Aztecs back to a .500 record as the bats demonstrate plate discipline

Jesus Garcia, Contributor

SDSU (13-13) defeated UC Irvine (9-15) with a score of 8-4, snapping a skid that had the Aztecs drop four of their least five games coming into this matchup. Right fielder Zane Kelly drove in a season-high of four runs, including a 2nd inning homerun that secured the lead for the Aztecs. With the win, the Aztecs sit with a .500 record heading into the stretch run of conference play.

Despite the result, the game did not start off in favor of the Aztecs. UCI’s leadoff hitter Tommy Farmer IV homered to left field on the third pitch of the game, scoring a 1-0 lead. Aztec pitcher Jake Frohn would give up a second run in his first career start. An ensuing walk, hit-by-pitch, and a single by UCI’s Zach Fjelstad doubled the lead before SDSU came up to bat.

“They came out to a 2-0 lead, and we just stuck with it,” SDSU head coach Kevin Vance said. “That’s a testament to Jake Frohn, give up two runs right away, and then just kind of cruise and stay the same.”

The Anteaters’ lead would not make it past the first inning after SDSU answered back within their first two batters. A single from shortstop Jabin Trosky gave way for catcher Zach Justice to send one deep into left field for a tied game.

“Just to punch right back and equalize it, 0-0 ball game again,” Vance said. “This is a game of momentum and I thought we took that momentum and ran with it.”

After Frohn pitched a scoreless second, Kelly hit a two-run homer off UCI’s Tyler Foster to give the Aztecs a 4-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. For Kelly, the homerun felt like vindication after nursing a minor injury setback that has caused him to hit .163 this month.

“I’ve been having some finger issues and it’s finally starting to heal up, so I’m pulling the bat a little bit better,” Kelly said. “Before the game, many coaches are [also] working on just staying on my legs a little bit more.”

The Aztecs  protected their 4-2 lead going into the sixth inning. Aztec Pitcher Bryce McKnight tossed three scoreless innings to shut down any early momentum the Anteaters had left.

“Filling [the zone] up, throwing strikes … and that’s all he really needs to do [because] his stuff is really good,” Vance said. “He looked confident … throwing some really good pitches and just kept going.”

In the bottom of the sixth, the Aztecs broke the game open, scoring four runs that essentially wrapped up the win. A sacrifice bunt error committed by UCI’s Tim Grack and a passed ball leading to Kelly’s additional two RBIs were part of a sloppy inning for the Anteaters.

“I was looking for a slider [on the first pitch], then he went with the slider again,” Kelly said. “He left it in the zone and good pitch to hit, so I rubbed it down the line.” 

The Anteaters scored two runs off pitcher Connor Abadie to trim SDSU’s lead, but the Aztecs comfortably held on to that four run victory.

Another factor that allowed the Aztecs to take the game was their plate discipline, as they only recorded more hits (9) than hitting strikeouts (7). They had struck out only twice in their previous game against UConn, but going 3-10 with runners in scoring position caused a tough 7-5 defeat.

“We’ve been working on a two strike approach, and we’re really just trying to battle in there,” Kelly said.

The Aztecs now head to Arizona for a four-game road trip that starts on Mar. 27 when they face off against Grand Canyon in Mountain West play. With nine of their next 11 games involving MW teams, Vance and the Aztecs hope this game can be the start of a winning streak.

“Some of those losses in the last five games, we played really well,” Vance said. “But this is a big one for us … just to get back in the win column.”