By Levern Johnson (@inkedjournalist) – Spear Reporter
SJSU baseball (2-3) struggles continued against Washington (4-2) Saturday after flirting with another comeback 9th-inning comeback in a 3-2 thriller.
The Spartans’ dropped their first matchup of the series to the Huskies on Feb. 23, 7-6 after having a similar 9th-inning comeback scenario play out for them.
Micky Thompson got the start today, after striking out six batters in his previous start against Loyola-Marymount. Unfortunately, one pitch put the game out of reach for the Spartans’ after Huskies AJ Guerrero knocked a three-run homer in the 4th inning putting the Huskies up early 3-1.
Huskies starting pitcher Kiefer Lloyd kept things quiet for the most part, only allowing Charles McAdoo to sneak a third-inning RBI double to left field bringing home teammate Matt Spear.
Lloyd finished his day pitching six innings and racking up seven strikeouts before being replaced by teammate Jared Engman.
Close, but not close enough for SJSU to finish to come back
SJSU baseball put men on base after a few walks by Engman in the seventh and eighth, but the ninth inning is where things nearly went wrong for the Huskies.
Engman walked the three batters, leaving the bases loaded with no outs before being pulled off the mound and replaced by Sam Boyle.
Boyle got his first batter to fly out, but McAdoo kept putting in work, knocking in an RBI double in which Jackson Forbes scored the Spartans’ second run of the game.
With two people on base, Hunter Dorraugh stepped up to the plate in hopes of tying or winning the game for SJSU, but the “comeback stopper” unfortunately made an appearance again, keeping the Spartans from completing the comeback.
Dorraugh’s would ground out to end the game.
But Coach Brad Sanfilippo couldn’t be more proud of his team and the fight they put up.
“On Thursdays, we gave ourselves a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth and today we gave ourselves another chance in the bottom of the ninth,” Coach Sanfilippo said. “But there is a lot of fight in these guys.”
SJSU look to steal one game as they close out the series against Washington today @ 10 a.m.