The San Jose State baseball team swept University of Nevada, Las Vegas in a three-game series over the weekend at home at Excite Ballpark.
The Spartans defeated the Rebels by an average margin of 5 runs per game.
Friday
SJSU took the first game of the series on Friday 6-2 bolstered by a big performance from outfielder Jeriah Lewis.
Lewis finished the game going 2 for 4 while recording a three-run homer in the second inning.
Spartans’ senior pitcher Jonathan Clark pitched 6 ⅔ innings and allowed just two runs while striking out three batters.
Senior pitchers Jack White and Darren Jansen closed the game out and combined to allow no runs while striking out five total batters.
After Lewis’ homer in the second inning, SJSU brought in two runners in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead. The Rebels didn’t recover and the Spartans came away with a first-game win.
After the game, SJSU head coach Brad Sanfilippo said pitching from the bullpen was the reason the Spartans took the game.
“Jonathan Clark gave us a great start,” Sanfilippo said. “Jack White was handed the ball for two [innings] and Darren Jansen finished it. I think our pitching really led the way.”
Saturday
Similar to Friday’s game, SJSU’s solid pitching along with constant at-bats led to a 7-3 win over UNLV.
Junior third baseman Dalton Bowling batted 3 for 5 and recorded 3 RBIs. Junior outfielder Robert Hamchuk batted 2 for 5 while recording 3 RBIs.
Junior pitcher Micky Thompson pitched 6 innings and gave 4 hits and 3 earned runs.
The Spartans put themselves in a 3-0 hole early in the game as the Rebels took a three-run lead in the second inning.
SJSU fought its way back and cut the UNLV deficit to just a run in the fifth inning after Bowling knocked in Hamchuk on an RBI single.
The Spartans took the lead after Hamchuk scored junior catcher Matt Spear on an RBI single to take a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning. This was the start of a 5-run eighth inning for the Spartans that led to the win.
Sanfilippo said that he was proud of how the team responded after going down 2-0 early.
“I was really proud of our guys not to give in and to just find a way to win,” he said.
Sunday
To close out the series, the Spartans pounced on the Rebels to seal the series with a 10-3 win.
Senior outfielder Jack Colette batted 3 for 5 while recording 3 RBIs and a triple.
Four different pitchers entered the contest for the Spartans. Pitchers Keaton Chase, Jesse Gutierrez, Joey Cammarata and Jack White combined for 9 strikeouts, 3 earned runs and a walk.
UNLV took the lead in the top of the first inning, scoring 2 runs to take a 2-0 lead. The Spartans quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning after Charles McAdoo hit a solo homer to center field.
SJSU took control in the fourth inning as it scored four consecutive runs to take a commanding 6-2 lead which let the Spartans cruise the rest of the game.
Up next
The Spartans are scheduled to play in a doubleheader at 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday against Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. These games are a makeup from a postponed game on Feb. 20.
