By Marissa Scott (@marissascotttt )
A clutch pinch-hit at bat by freshman Ruben Ibarra in the sixth inning secured San Jose State baseball’s 4-3 win over Dartmouth at Municipal Stadium on Monday afternoon.
The Spartans (9-10, 2-6 MW) got an early lead and went on to win the non-conference game against the Big Green (3-9) after Ibarra hit a two-run single to break the 2-2 tie.
“I think Ruben has probably put some pressure on himself that he doesn’t need to,” said head coach Brad Sanfilippo. “It was really nice to come through in a big spot and get a hit that won the game for us. It’s nice to see him be able to do that and have some success.”
Ibarra recorded his first collegiate hit and RBI in the win against Dartmouth.
The Spartans got on the board first in the second inning with an RBI single by senior third baseman David Campbell. The Big Green answered in the following inning with two runs off senior starter Jake Swiech.
SJSU answered the two-run third inning with a sac-bunt RBI by junior catcher Jace Duty in the fourth inning to tie the game.
Three of the four runs batted in by the Spartans were produced by players who don’t normally have the chance to produce. Duty and Ibarra both played in their seventh games of the season.
Dartmouth junior Sean Sullivan, who entered Monday with the best batting average in the nation, heightened his average from .511 to .564 with a 4-5 day.
Sophomore reliever Josh Zanger snatched his first win of the season in relief going 3.2 shutout innings while only allowing two hits.
“Strikes and confidence,” freshman Wesley Clawson said of Zanger. “Just going out and doing what he does best. Whatever we needed to do, he was going to execute.”
The Spartan bullpen pitched 6.2 innings and gave up one run off of four hits. Clawson notched his fourth save of the season with a shutout ninth inning.
“I’m happy that we won and found a way,” Sanfilippo said. “Some different guys contributed today that maybe hadn’t before so I was happy.”
The Spartans took three games in their four-game homestand. One against Dartmouth and two out of three against conference-rival Fresno State, improving to 9-10 on the year.
SJSU will head to Santa Barbara next to face the Gauchos in a three-game series starting on Friday.
