Pinnell, SDSU Have Hitting to Topple the Air Force Twice

A postponement because of cold weather and snow did nothing to cool the San Diego State baseball team’s hitters.

SDSU swept a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader from Air Force, 9-0 and 17-8, Sunday in Pueblo, Colo. The games had been scheduled for Saturday at Colorado Springs but snow forced a one-day delay and change in site.

The teams will meet in another doubleheader today at Air Force, weather permitting.

Lance Pinnell was the day’s top hitter for SDSU, going 6 for 9 with 3 runs batted in. In the opener he was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. He went 4 for 5 in the second game.

Rob Brown (5-3) went the distance in the first game, striking out 10 and giving up 5 hits.

SDSU’s Harry Henderson, Jeff Champ, Jeff Barry and Kasey McKeon hit home runs in the second game. Brian Lutes, who hit a homer in the opener, drove in three runs in the second game. Champ and Barry each went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Erik Plantenberg pitched 5 innings to gain his fifth victory without a loss.

SDSU is 26-13-1 and 8-2 in the WAC. Air Force is 15-15, 0-6.

The University of San Diego baseball team had its chances but fell to No. 4 Loyola-Marymount, 6-4, at Cunningham Stadium in San Diego.

The Toreros, who stranded 13 runners in suffering their ninth straight loss, had an opportunity to take the lead in the eighth.

After scoring two runs to make it 6-4, USD loaded the bases with two outs. But the rally ended when cleanup hitter Sean Baron popped out to third.

USD’s Mike Newby shut down Loyola in the final 4 innings, surrendering just 2 hits. Pat Fitzsimons (1-2) took the loss.

USD’s Chuck Graham went 4 for 5 with an RBI, and Mark Trafton also had an RBI while going 3 for 5.

USD fell to 17-23 overall, 2-10 in the West Coast Athletic Conference. Loyola is 35-9, 8-0.

TRIATHLON

Paula Neuby-Fraser of Encinitas finished second among the women and Mark Allen of Vista and Scott Tinley of Encinitas were second and third in the men’s division Sunday in The America’s Paradise Triathlon at St. Croix, Virgin Islands.

Neuby-Fraser, 26, completed the course--3-kilometer swim, 90-kilometer bicycle race and 20-kilometer run--in 4 hours, 51 minutes, 35 seconds. Kirsten Hansen of Denver won by more than 13 minutes in 4:38:04.

Mike Pigg of Arcata was the men’s winner, beating Allen by 6:16. Allen, 30, was timed in 4:13:30. Tinley, 36, finished in 4:16:09.

SOCCER

Mario Gonzales scored twice as the San Diego Nomads beat the California Kickers, 3-1, at Southwestern College in the season-opening game of the Western Soccer Alliance.