San Diego State University’s baseball team captured three of four games last weekend against UC San Diego to improve to 5-2 on the young season.
Eastlake High School alumnus Brian Leonhardt continues to swing a hot bat in the early stages of the season by collecting six hits, seven RBI and scoring four runs in the four games. He also made one pitching appearance, picking up the win in the series finale, a 13-6 victory.
The Aztecs hosted the opening two games in the series last Friday and Saturday. The teams closed out the series with a double-header at UCSD on Sunday.
Eastlake grads Tre Brown and Ricky Tibbett, as well as Mater Dei Catholic alumnus Poncho Ruiz, also represented SDSU in the series from South County.
Brown picked up the win in the first game of Sunday’s double-header, a 7-5 decision for the visiting Aztecs, while Tibbett saw action in relief in two games, including SDSU’s series opening 10-4 win.
Leonhardt continues to sparkle with a .433 hitting average (second on the team to Jaden Fein’s .529 average) while co-leading the team with 14 RBI through seven games. The former Titan has collected 13 hits, scored eight runs, slugged three doubles and blasted one home run for 19 total bases and a .633 slugging percentage (second to Fein’s .706 average).
Leonhardt was among four Aztecs who rapped out two hits apiece in last Friday’s contest at Tony Gwynn Stadium, joining teammates Cole Carrigg, Caden Miller and Jacob Cruce, who drove in two runs along with Fein.
SDSU found itself trailing, 4-0, early on but exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to go in front to stay.
UCSD’s Anthony Lucchetti smacked a three-run home run in the top of the third inning and Tate Soderstrom followed with a solo shot in the next frame.
Triton starter Cameron Leonard held the hosts off the scoreboard through five complete innings before the Aztecs scratched back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to narrow the score to 4-3.
SDSU sent 12 men to the plate in the seventh inning, with Leonhardt collecting one RBI single.
Tibbett, who had a rocky time in his first game this season, took the hill to get the final four outs while allowing just one hit with one strikeout.
The Aztecs suffered their first loss in four home games in Saturday’s rematch. Fein accounted for all three SDSU runs in the 9-3 setback with a three-run home run. UCSD’s Everett Lau led all players in the game with four RBI.
Leonhardt helped lead the Aztecs’ comeback in sweeping Sunday’s double-header by combining for six RBI on the day.
Leonhardt delivered the heroics with a clutch two-run single with two outs in the top to the 11th inning in an eventual 7-5 SDSU victory in the opener. He stormed back in the nightcap with four RBI, including a two-run home run, while picking up the win in relief by striking out four batters and allowing one walk in 2.1 innings on the hill.
Ruiz, making his first collegiate start at catcher in the series finale, collected his first career hit in dramatic fashion by crushing the first pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run.
The Aztecs led 5-2 in the opener of the twin bill before the Tritons tied the game on a three-run home run by Aaron Kim. Brown remained in the game until the last out, however, to earn the win. He tossed 3.1 innings, allowing two hits while striking out six, including the final two batters.
SDSU sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth inning in the rematch, scoring five runs to add to an already imposing 8-2 lead.
Leonhardt clubbed his first home run of the season in the third inning and added a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning before drilling an RBI double in the sixth.
Tibbett closed out the game with 1.1 scoreless innings while allowing one hit and fanning two batters.
The teams combined for 52 hits in the double-header. UCSD stranded 17 runners in the nightcap.
Brown improved to 2-0 on the season while striking out seven batters in 5.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .111 off him.
Tibbett has made three appearances so far this season, lowering his ERA to 8.40 with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
Joseph Ingrassia, a freshman from Valhalla, made his collegiate debut in the first game of the double-header with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief.
Christian Winston picked up the win in relief of Troy Melton in the series opener while Brown and Leonhardt closed out the series with one win apiece.
Fein leads the team with 24 total bases while Cruce leads the team with 13 runs scored.
Michael Paredes, a former San Diego Caver, leads the team with 11 innings pitched while Melton tops the team with 10 strikeouts.
The Aztecs open Mountain West Conference play this weekend by hosting Fresno State in a three-game series (March 6-7). The teams open play with a double-header on Saturday (11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.) and close out with a single game Sunday (1 p.m.).
SDSU will remain at home for a three-game series against UNLV March 13-14 before taking wing for three-game road series against Air Force Academy (March 20-21) and San Jose State (March 27-28).
