San Jose, Calif. - The 2009 Western Athletic Conference regular-season champion San Jose State University baseball program got its annual fall intrasquad event, the Spartan World Series, under way on Friday, November 13, with the Spartan Gold taking a 2-0 decision over the Spartan Blue at San Jose Municipal Stadium.

Sophomore right-hander Esteban Guzman started the series opener for the Blue for a second year in a row, and needed just six pitches to get through a 1-2-3 top of the first.

After senior Blue captain Karson Klauer provided the game's first hit with a single through the left side with one out in the bottom half, freshman Gold catcher Chris Carrillo threw him out trying to steal.

Following a lead single by Gold captain Corey Valine in the second, Guzman induced back-to-back ground balls to shortstop, resulting in a fielder's choice and a double play to end the frame.

Guzman had another 1-2-3 inning in the third with a pair of called third strikes and another grounder to shortstop.

John Austin, a junior transfer from College of San Mateo, was on the hill to start for the Gold. The left-hander threw a 1-2-3 second before allowing a double to the wall in left field to junior rightfielder Kolton Klauer to lead off the third. Junior catcher Bryson Rahier then laid down a perfect bunt on a 1-1 count to move Klauer to third. Tommy Gale drew a walk and Michael Reiling was hit to load the bases for the elder Klauer, but Austin got him to hit a routine 6-4-3 double-play ball to freshman shortstop Zack Jones to keep the game scoreless.

The Gold staged a two-out rally to finally score the first, and ultimately only, runs of the afternoon in the top of the fourth. Junior Danny Stienstra, playing second base, worked the count full and drew a walk with two gone. A Guzman wild pitch to move Stienstra into scoring position was followed by three straight singles, starting with a blooper toward the line in right field by Valine on a 2-1 count. Jones then singled him to second, and Alex Sofranac found a hole up the middle for a 2-0 Gold edge.

The Gold had a great opportunity to pad its advantage in the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out. Stienstra and Valine produced back-to-back singles to open the frame. Jones then put down a sacrifice bunt, and with Blue first baseman Tim Quiery a step late in attempting to get Stienstra at third as the lead runner, everybody was safe on the fielder's choice. Guzman was up to the task, however, as he got Sofranac looking, junior DH Nick Borg swinging, and then got freshman leftfielder Nick Schulz to ground into a fielder's choice on the first pitch.

In the next inning, it took a great diving stop toward the line off the hop from sophomore third baseman Michael Reiling, on a hard shot by Valine with runners at the corners, to keep a run from scoring and maintain the two-run deficit for the Blue.

Austin came right back out and put together another quick 1-2-3 inning for the Gold with a trio of infield putouts on seven pitches.

The Blue got out of trouble one more time in the eighth, as the Gold loaded the bases with two outs on a pinch-hit single by Anthony Bona, a single by Schulz, and a four-pitch walk to Carrillo, only for right-hander Patrick Hennessey to pop fellow freshman Andrew Rodriguez out into foul territory on the first-base side.

Junior right-hander Luke Mazzanti came in for Andy Hennessey, the older brother of Patrick, to get the final three outs for the Gold in the ninth and pick up the save. The Blue immediately brought the tying run to the plate when Karson Klauer singled up the middle to lead off, but Mazzanti, the most experienced member of the Spartans' staff, registered a fielder's choice, a called third strike and a swinging strikeout to end the contest.

Austin (1-0) earned the win, striking out a pair over 7.2 scoreless innings, with five hits and a walk against him. He retired the last six batters he faced, including his final one, Gale, on a called third strike, but had to leave with a 2-2 count on Reiling as he reached his 85-pitch limit. Andy Hennessey came on to set Reiling down swinging for his only batter of the afternoon.

The Gold out-hit the Blue, 11-5, led by Valine's 3-for-5 effort and Stienstra's 2-for-3 day.

Karson Klauer had two of the five Blue hits over his four at-bats. Guzman (0-1) took the loss, allowing both runs on six singles and two walks, with five strikeouts. Patrick Hennessey provided three shutout innings, striking out one while giving up five singles and a walk.

Game 2 of the 2009 Spartan World Series is slated for an 11:00 a.m. first pitch on Saturday, November 14, and is expected to feature a match-up between right-handed junior newcomers in Blake McFarland (San Jose, Calif./Santa Barbara City College/Leigh HS) for the Gold and David Luna (San Jose, Calif./Ohlone College/Piedmont Hills HS) for the Blue.

Game 1: Spartan Gold 2, Spartan Blue 0

Spartan Gold (1-0) 000 200 000 - 2 11 0
Spartan Blue (0-1) 000 000 000 - 0 5 0

Austin, A. Hennessey (8), Mazzanti (9) and Carrillo. Guzman, P. Hennessey (7) and Rahier. WP - Austin (1-0). LP - Guzman (0-1). Save - Mazzanti (1). 2B - Ko. Klauer (Blue). 3 hits - Valine (Gold). 2 hits - Stienstra (Gold); Ka. Klauer (Blue). Attendance - 50.

2009 Spartan World Series
Game 1: Gold 2, Blue 0
Game 2: Gold at Blue, Saturday, November 14, 11:00 a.m.
Game 3: Blue at Gold, Sunday, November 15, 12:00 p.m.
Game 4: Blue at Gold, Friday, November 20, 1:45 p.m.
Game 5: Blue at Gold, Sunday, November 22, 12:00 p.m. (7 innings)
Game 6: Gold at Blue, Sunday, November 22, 2:00 p.m. (7 innings)
Game 7: Gold at Blue, Tuesday, November 24, 2:15 p.m.
(All seven games are originally slated to be played at San Jose Municipal Stadium, but subject to change to Blethen Field, as are dates and times, without notice.)