By Matthew Meyer (@mattmeyersjsu) – Spear Reporter | SJSU junior pitcher Landon Marchetti in the middle of his pitch delivery (Photo courtesy of SJSU Athletics)
The San Jose State Spartans baseball team (1-1, 0-0 MWC) fell 12-3 to the Long Beach State Dirtbags in the second game of their three game series Saturday night.
Senior right-handed pitcher David Thomas started the match for the Spartans but was unable to go the distance.
Thomas allowed five runs on four hits in two innings of work, only recording two strikeouts against 13 batters faced and taking the loss. His ERA now sits at a staggering 22.50.
The Spartans utilized four pitchers, junior Landon Marchetti, senior Luca Staiano, senior Kyler Bacosa and senior Cade Cushing, to complete the remaining six innings of work. Combined they allowed seven runs on ten hits and eight walks.
The Spartans didn’t score their first run until the sixth inning when senior outfielder Alex Fernandes scored on a passed ball.
Sophomore Rohne Kleine kept the inning going, pinch hitting for the senior catcher Vincent Gamberdella and adding on with a sacrifice fly that scored senior infielder Rocco Caballero.
Redshirt senior infielder J.C. Osorio-Agard continued the rally with a two-out RBI single, bringing home senior outfielder Jake McCoy, cutting the lead to 7-3.
The Spartans didn’t score for the rest of the night, with their final offensive totals being three runs on five hits and three walks and two hit-by-pitches.
They struck out a total of 13 times and left five men on base.
Spartans’ head coach Brad Sanfilippo used four batters off his bench in Saturday’s match. None of them recorded a hit.
Fernandes continued his hot start of the season, going 1-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
Fernandes reached base in eight straight plate appearances before being struck out in the seventh inning. His batting average still tops the team at a stunning .857.
Dirtbags senior right-handed pitcher Jake Fields was dominant against the Spartans, going 5.2 innings and recording eight strikeouts, three walks and only allowing three runs and getting the win.
Fields, however, didn’t start the game. He replaced sophomore right-handed pitcher Austin Castillo when Castillo was removed from the game in the first inning after only facing one batter.
The Spartans will play the final game of the series at 1:05 p.m on Sunday, Feb. 15 at Bohl Field, where they hope to secure their first series win of the 2026 season.
