Vinyard Helps SDSU to Sweep

An inside-the-park home run by San Diego State’s Derek Vinyard scored three runs as the Aztecs defeated Air Force, 7-4, in the second game of Sunday’s Western Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

The Aztecs swept the doubleheader, winning the first game 11-7 in extra innings.

Air Force opened up a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on Chris Washington’s two-run home run. Later in the inning, Layne Kasper doubled and scored on Lance Pilch’s single. Aztec designated hitter Marc Garcia’s solo home run in the fourth inning tied the score.

The score was tied at 4-4 in the top of the seventh when Vinyard’s drive to center field went over the head of Washington. On the play, Washington dove head first into the chain-link fence in center field and was carried off the field with neck and back injuries. The extent of the injury was not yet determined. Air Force collected one hit in the bottom of the seventh before John Lynn retired the side for the save.

In game one, the score was knotted at 7-7 after the scheduled seven innings when San Diego State rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth. The Aztecs’ game-winner came when Pat Mummy doubled and scored on Tony Enomoto’s single. Two more Aztec hits and a pair of Air Force errors gave SDSU an 11-7 lead. Lynn picked up the win as he closed out the seventh inning and got three straight outs in the bottom of the eighth.

Air Force, trailing 7-4, tied the score with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. A lead-off double by Lance Pilch and a home run by Mike Manor cut the lead to one run. Manny Robinson then singled and scored on Vern Mullis’ ground ball to the shortstop.

San Diego State improved to 26-7 overall and 10-1 in the WAC. Air Force fell to 20-9 overall and 3-5 in the conference.

MEN’S TENNIS

No. 25-ranked San Diego State defeated UC Santa Barbara, 5-4, at SDSU.

A key victory for SDSU came at No. 6 singles where Scott Hansen came back after dropping the first set in six games and edged UCSB’s John Fox, 0-6, 7-5, 7-6. With that victory, SDSU earned a 3-3 tie in singles play.

Other singles winners for SDSU were Michael Sass and Jeff Belloli.

Hansen and Sass later teamed up for a win on the doubles courts as did Belloli and Chris Numbers.

SDSU improved to 14-3, and UCSB fell to 10-8.

WOMEN’S WATER POLO

UC San Diego, ranked third nationally, finished the second day of play at the UCLA Invitational with two victories, beating San Diego State, 10-5, and UCLA, 15-5, in pool play to finish first in the tournament with a 4-0 record.

Brenda Retin scored a combined total of 10 goals for UCSD (10-1 overall), and teammate Christine Townsend had three in the first game.

No. 4-ranked UC Santa Barbara finished at 3-1, San Diego State was third at 2-2, UCLA fourth at 1-3 and UC Irvine last at 0-4.