WAC Baseball Tournament : Aztecs Lose Chance for Title in the Sun, Fall to BYU, 3-1

The San Diego State baseball team’s day in the sun ended with two fly balls that were lost in the sun.

Two plays gave Brigham Young University all the runs it needed to beat the Aztecs, 3-1, for the Western Athletic Conference championship Saturday.

A Bruce Ellis hit that was misplayed in the sun helped the Cougars to a run in the second inning, and his bloop double in the sixth inning brought in two more.

BYU earned the WAC’s automatic berth in the 48-team NCAA playoffs that open Thursday. The Aztecs will have to wait until Monday morning’s announcement to see if they will be extended one of 21 at-large bids.

“We just misplayed those two balls in the sun and that was the game,” sighed Jim Dietz, the SDSU coach. “Those are the breaks of the game and we didn’t get ‘em.

“I’m just proud that we got here (to the championship game) This is a unique bunch of young men. Every now and then in the lifetime of a coach, you’re going to get a group of kids with that chemistry and desire, and this team is that way. I’m just so proud of these kids.

“I hope we go to a regional because I think there are a lot of them that we could win.”

But on this night and at this site, the Aztecs had to settle for second best to BYU and John Sinclair. Sinclair (9-3) scattered five hits. John Hemmerly (6-4) took the loss.

Consecutive one-out walks to Gary Daniels and John Batina in the second inning came back to haunt the Aztecs when left fielder Brian Lutes lost Ellis’ fly in the sun for a bloop single, allowing Daniels to score.

Lutes didn’t see the ball until it was too late, and it dropped just out of shortstop Steve Montejano’s range.

In the sixth, the Cougars started with a walk to Daniels again, this time with two outs. Batina followed with a single, and both scored when Ellis dropped a double in shallow center field between three Aztecs.

The Aztecs’ best chance to get back into it came in the seventh, when they left the bases loaded.

Montejano’s leadoff single and a walk to pinch-hitter Kasey McKeon put a man into scoring position with one out. Lance Pinnell grounded out, advancing both runners, and a walk to Chuck McInnis loaded the bases for Jeff Champ, who flied out to right.

The Aztecs got their only run in the bottom of the ninth and blew an opportunity for more.

Montejano led off being hit by a pitch. Anthony Johnson drew a one-out walk, and then Pinnell singled to right, scoring Montejano. But Johnson, who had to wait to see if right fielder Ellis would catch the ball, delayed and then went to third, where he was thrown out for the second out. McInnis’ fly to left ended the game.

Five Aztecs were named to the all-tournament team: pitcher John Marshall, Pinnell (third base), Montejano (shortstop), Jeff Barry (outfield) and designated hitter Anthony Johnson.

In Friday night’s late game, the Aztecs were outhit, 11-5, by Wyoming but managed to get four of them in a four-run fifth inning for a 4-2 victory.

Marshall, who beat Hawaii, 8-7, with 1 innings of relief earlier in the day, went the distance as a starter to win his 11th game against two losses overall and his third in seven days.

After spotting the Cowboys a 2-0 lead through two innings, the Aztecs came back with all four of their runs after two outs in the fifth to avenge Thursday night’s 5-3, opening-round loss.