NCAA Baseball Regionals : SDSU Lapses Lead to Elimination, 10-6

Cinderella-like San Diego State became the first team to be eliminated from the NCAA Central Regional Friday when the Aztecs lost to Pan American, 10-6, on Disch-Falk Field.

After fashioning its first Western Athletic Conference title ever with a 15-game winning streak and winning the WAC postseason tournament, the Aztecs reverted to the same bad defensive habits that had left them with a 1-8 conference record at midseason.

They committed five errors and had other fielding lapses that Pan American was able to exploit.

Of the 10 runs scored by the Broncos, nine were unearned.

“Our defense hurt us the whole time we were here,” Aztec Coach Jim Dietz said. “We put ourselves in a hole with a couple of errors, and you can’t give these tournament teams four or five outs an inning.”

The Aztecs (43-23-1) committed six errors in Thursday’s 26-5 loss to Arizona.

Second baseman Steve Hill booted a ball hit by Pan American lead off hitter Jerry Clements in the first inning and things only got worse for the Aztecs from there.

A two-run single by Pedro Iglesias scored Clements and Mario Valdez in the first inning. The Broncos scored another unearned run in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.

“I felt sorry for our pitchers because we really didn’t pitch that badly,” Dietz said.

Aztec starter Mike Erb (9-4) gave up six runs on nine hits over six innings, but only one of the runs was earned.

After giving up three more runs to Pan American in the fifth inning, the Aztecs closed to within 6-4 with three runs of their own in the seventh on three singles, a walk and ground-rule double by Nikco Riesgo.

But another error, a walk and two home runs by the Broncos in the eighth inning scored four runs off reliever Rusty Elsberry and sealed the end of the Aztecs’ season.

Eric Woods, who got three hits off winning pitcher Danny Kennedy (11-2), said the Aztecs’ poor performance in the tournament was a result of more than just a lapse in defense.

“We’re a young club without any leadership at all,” Woods said. “That’s what hurt us most.”

San Diego State loses just three seniors from this team.

Pan American was coming back from an embarrassing 11-0 defeat to Pepperdine Thursday.

“One day you’re mashing the grapes and the next day you’re drinking the wine,” Bronco Coach Al Ogletree said after his team assured itself of at least one more game.

Pan American will play Texas at 2:30 today.

In other NCAA Central Regional action:

Pepperdine 5, Southern Illinois 3--The Waves scored three runs in the eighth inning and held off a late rally to eliminate Southern Illinois.

A two-run home by Gerry Pitchford gave Southern Illinois an early lead, but the Waves tied it in the fourth when Rick Hirtensteiner scored on an error and Douglas Simons hit a sacrifice fly.

Pepperdine took its first lead in the eigth on RBI singles by Hirtenstenier and Steve Erickson. Simons later added another RBI single.

Pepperdine will play Arizona, a 9-3 winner over Texas, today.

In the NCAA West Regional at UCLA:

Hawaii 8, UC Santa Barbara 6--Todd Crosby had three hits and the Rainbows (43-22) scored six unearned runs as Hawaii beat the No. 8 Gauchos.

Dan Nyssen hit a three-run home run to lead Hawaii. Freshman Mike Ponio (9-2) pitched 7 innings, allowing four runs and 12 hits, to earn the win. Brian Egloff (6-2) took the loss.

Santa Barbara (45-18) outhit Hawaii, 15-8, but couldn’t survive making three errors in the first three innings. Makr Leonard and Greg Vella each had three hits and two RBIs to lead the Gauchos.

Loyola Marymount 12, UCLA 10--The No. 7 Lions rallied to eliminated the No. 3 Bruins.

UCLA led, 10-9, going into the eighth inning, singles by Carl Fraticelli, Jim Holleran and Bill Bean tied the score. Later in the inning, Todd Elliott’s sacrifice fly gave Loyola an 11-10 lead.