By Lindsey Boyd:
After 14 consecutive road losses, the Spartans won their first away game of the season 13-8 against Santa Clara. In comeback fashion, San Jose State (11-17) pulled ahead of the Broncos (6-22) in the seventh inning to take the game.
It didn’t look good early for SJSU after pitcher Graham Gomez gave up five runs in the first inning.
SJSU went scoreless the first five innings, leading to a seven-run hole for the Spartans.
“Coming back from a 7-0 deficit, it grows the confidence and that’s something that will definitely help,” said head coach Jason Hawkins.
Joe Stefanki finally brought some momentum in the 6th, doubling down the right-field line to bring in Kellen Strahm.
The Spartans pushed two more across the plate.
The three-run inning sixth was met with retaliation from the Broncos as Austin Fisher homered to give Santa Clara another run, 8-3.
Moving forward with runs in their back pockets, the Spartans turned the game around in the seventh inning scoring six runs and jumping ahead of the Broncos 9-8.
“The thing I was most proud of was they didn’t panic,” Hawkins said on SJSU’s comeback. “They didn’t start pressing play or trying to do too much.They just trusted who they are.”
Aaron Pleschner was much to thank for sealing the win with a triple down center field in the seventh to send Strahm and Jack Veasey home.
“They definitely shut themselves down after we took the lead and it felt really good to know that we were in a good spot for the rest of the game,” Pleschner said.
SJSU added four more runs in the eighth inning increasing its lead to five.
“Hopefully it’s the first of many,” Pleschner said about the away game win. “Not hopefully. It will be.”
The Spartans will be back home on Friday where they will face the New Mexico Lobos at 7 p.m.