Spring Break
Spartans are WAC Champions
Ryan Buchan
Issue date: 5/13/09 Section: Sports
The Spartans won the Western Athletic Conference regular season title with a sweep over the Nevada Wolf.
SJSU started the series by winning by a narrow margin of 3-2. In that game senior pitcher Jack Adams threw a complete game allowing seven hits and striking out seven.
Junior third baseman Corey Valine, got the game winning hit in the seventh inning that brought home Junior shortstop Kyle Bellows.
The Spartans took both games of Saturday's doubleheader, winning 5-1 and 4-2.
In the series finally the Spartans got the victory, on senior day.
First you want to see the seniors win on senior day," said head coach Sam Piraro. "It doesn't matter if you are the league champion or where you finish, you like to see your seniors leave on a winning note."
Every non-senior but Karson Klauer reached base in their first two at bats, and all starting underclassmen got a base hit.
Spartan Sophomore Luke Mazzanti threw 3.6 perfect innings to start the game.
"I just went out there and competed," Mazzanti said. "I tried to keep my pitch count low and give the team a chance to win."
After a walk and two hits that ended Mazzanti's bid at a perfect game and no-hitter, the Wolf Pack threatened to end the shutout as well having the bases loaded for Brett Hart. The Spartans avoided any damage as Hart hit to third, in which Valine delivered to second for the final out. Mazzanti left the game after throwing six shutout innings, allowing four hits and struck out two.
"Luke had good stuff today, we were really happy," Piraro said. "Luke had a live fastball today."
The only senior to pitch was Trevor Gibson who ended the shut out, giving up the only runs in the ninth. The first three hitters Gibson faced got hits.
Seniors, Jacob Bruns and Tyler Heil were the only players on the Spartans not to get a hit.
In the second with Klauer on first Augilera hit a bomb that was inches short of a home run, coming off the top of the left field wall, and it put the Spartans up 3-0.
Drake had a double to leadoff the sixth and an RBI single in the seventh.
The Spartans scored in all but two innings.
Leading four nothing in the fifth the Spartans broke the game open scoring three runs. In that inning five of the first six batters reached by a walk and one scored. With the bases loaded Klauer hits a two-RBI double, and almost got a third as Tyler Heil was tagged out at the plate.
"I got a pitch I could hit and it ended up falling which is good," Klauer said.
In the seventh the Spartans had one and the bases loaded and needed on run to bring on the mercy rule to get the victory.
Bellows hit an infield fly and Valine popped out to shallow center to bring on two more innings.
SJSU started the series by winning by a narrow margin of 3-2. In that game senior pitcher Jack Adams threw a complete game allowing seven hits and striking out seven.
Junior third baseman Corey Valine, got the game winning hit in the seventh inning that brought home Junior shortstop Kyle Bellows.
The Spartans took both games of Saturday's doubleheader, winning 5-1 and 4-2.
In the series finally the Spartans got the victory, on senior day.
First you want to see the seniors win on senior day," said head coach Sam Piraro. "It doesn't matter if you are the league champion or where you finish, you like to see your seniors leave on a winning note."
Every non-senior but Karson Klauer reached base in their first two at bats, and all starting underclassmen got a base hit.
Spartan Sophomore Luke Mazzanti threw 3.6 perfect innings to start the game.
"I just went out there and competed," Mazzanti said. "I tried to keep my pitch count low and give the team a chance to win."
After a walk and two hits that ended Mazzanti's bid at a perfect game and no-hitter, the Wolf Pack threatened to end the shutout as well having the bases loaded for Brett Hart. The Spartans avoided any damage as Hart hit to third, in which Valine delivered to second for the final out. Mazzanti left the game after throwing six shutout innings, allowing four hits and struck out two.
"Luke had good stuff today, we were really happy," Piraro said. "Luke had a live fastball today."
The only senior to pitch was Trevor Gibson who ended the shut out, giving up the only runs in the ninth. The first three hitters Gibson faced got hits.
Seniors, Jacob Bruns and Tyler Heil were the only players on the Spartans not to get a hit.
In the second with Klauer on first Augilera hit a bomb that was inches short of a home run, coming off the top of the left field wall, and it put the Spartans up 3-0.
Drake had a double to leadoff the sixth and an RBI single in the seventh.
The Spartans scored in all but two innings.
Leading four nothing in the fifth the Spartans broke the game open scoring three runs. In that inning five of the first six batters reached by a walk and one scored. With the bases loaded Klauer hits a two-RBI double, and almost got a third as Tyler Heil was tagged out at the plate.
"I got a pitch I could hit and it ended up falling which is good," Klauer said.
In the seventh the Spartans had one and the bases loaded and needed on run to bring on the mercy rule to get the victory.
Bellows hit an infield fly and Valine popped out to shallow center to bring on two more innings.
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MostWantedSpartan
posted 5/18/09 @ 3:18 PM PST
Champions Baby!
Win the W.A.C Tournament!
Let's Go Spartans!
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