Courtesy: San Jose State Athletics Ryan Angel's fourth home run of 2006 won it for the Spartans in the 10th inning. (Photo by Ron Fried)

San Jose, Calif. – Ryan Angel hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch of the Spartan half of the 10th inning to give the San Jose State University baseball team a 7-6 win over New Mexico State University in the opener of a three-game Western Athletic Conference series at Municipal Stadium on Friday, May 5.

WILD, WALK-OFF START TO SPARTAN SPORTING WEEKEND

Walk-off home runs were the order of the day for the Spartans, as Jessica Guillen’s eighth-inning blast had given the softball team a 2-1 win over rival Fresno State across the street at SJSU Field just a few hours prior to Angel’s shot. Angel’s team-leading fourth home run of the season came on Aggie right-hander Kyle McFadden’s first offering of the 10th. It is the team’s second walk-off home run of 2006, following freshman shortstop John Shaffer’s ninth-inning effort on his first collegiate swing in a 4-3 home win over BYU on February 17. Angel had earlier hit his team-best 18th double of the year. He finished 2-for-5 with one walk, one RBI and two runs scored, and now paces the WAC with 65 hits.

“This was a big win for the team,” said Angel. “Every time we win like tonight, it shows a lot of character. Tonight showed a lot of toughness. You always want to take the first game (of a series). It’s good to get these kinds of wins.

“I’m trying to do what I can to help us win,” he continued. “I’m trying to get on base, stay aggressive at the plate and just do whatever it takes to win.”

SPARTANS ONE GAME OUT OF FIRST PLACE

With its fourth straight conference victory, San Jose State improves to 31-18 overall and 10-6 in the WAC. The Spartans remain tied with Fresno State in second place in the league standings, a game behind first-place Hawai’i. New Mexico State had its own four-game WAC win streak snapped, falling to 18-29 overall and 5-11 in league play.

Senior Spartan right-hander Matt Winck (4-1) tossed 3.0 innings of scoreless relief, striking out five, including the side in the 10th, to earn the win. He allowed just one hit. Junior right-hander Loren Moneypenny had started for SJSU and gone seven-plus innings. He gave up 11 hits and six runs, four of them earned. He did not allow a walk, while matching his career high with nine strikeouts.

“I just wanted to keep us in the ballgame and let the defense work, but I guess I had good stuff tonight,” said Winck. “It was a huge victory. We’re a game out of first, so it’s important to stay up with the top teams. This win is a huge confidence boost for the team.” On making his league-leading 21st appearance, Winck added, “I can only thank (head coach Sam Piraro) for giving me the ball and having confidence in me.”

SHAFFER DOUBLE STARTS THE SCORING

The Spartans opened the scoring in the first when Shaffer hit a two-out double to score leftfielder Chris Williammee, who had singled.

New Mexico State tied it in the third. Joseph Godinez led off with a double, the first of four hits on the night for the third baseman. Moneypenny then induced a pair of groundouts, with Godinez moving to third on the latter. It looked as though SJSU would get through the inning unscathed when rightfielder Jason Long rolled one over to shortstop, but Shaffer’s error allowed Long to reach and Godinez to score for 1-1.

Angel helped get the run right back with his leadoff double in the bottom of the third. Williammee reached on a bunt single and centerfielder Sam Hall brought Angel in from third with a groundout to the right side.

The visitors knotted things up again in the fifth. It was Godinez reaching base as the leadoff hitter again, this time with a single. He advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored an unearned run on Long’s two-out single to center. The Aggies then took the lead in the seventh when Godinez singled home leftfielder Patrick Fields, who had doubled to begin the frame.

MASSMAN HOME RUN TIES IT IN SEVENTH

A two-run Spartan seventh put them back on top. Catcher Brody Massman led off with a line-drive home run that just cleared the bullpen fence in left. Second baseman David Pierson then walked, advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, went to third on a Williammee sacrifice and scored on Hall’s double.

“I had a lot of confidence and a lot of support from my teammates, so I haven’t been feeling too much pressure (to hit home runs),” commented Massman about his first home run in a Spartan uniform. “I didn’t know I had it when it came off the bat. I was down two strikes, so I was just looking to put the ball in play to get base-runners. This was a huge victory. It really helps us in the WAC standings. We are playing real well together right now.”

New Mexico State immediately regained the upper hand thanks to a three-run blast by catcher Brandon Lance, his sixth, off Moneypenny with nobody out in the eighth.

The Spartans tied the score one last time with a pair of runs of their own in the eighth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Hall poked a single up the middle on an 0-2 count which snuck past diving Aggie shortstop Abe Aguirre. The hit made it 6-6 and set the stage for Angel’s extra-inning heroics. SJSU left the bases loaded, however, in both the seventh and eighth innings.

Hall finished 2-for-5 with four RBI, matching the high for his career. Williammee and Massman each went 2-for-4. Pierson scored twice. His walk was his team- best 28th.

Right-hander Jason Conner was the starter for NMSU. He allowed eight hits, four runs and two walks in seven innings, striking out six. McFadden (2-6) allowed four hits, three runs and three walks in two-plus innings. He struck out three. Godinez was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored. Long and first baseman Adam Harvey added two hits apiece.

DEWING TAKES HILL IN GAME TWO SATURDAY

San Jose State and New Mexico State will continue their series with a 1:00 p.m. contest at San Jose Municipal Stadium on Saturday, May 6. Senior left-hander Branden Dewing (6-3, 2.53) is expected to start on the mound for the Spartans.

New Mexico State (18-29, 5-11) 001 010 130 0 - 6 12 0
San Jose State (31-18, 10-6) 101 000 220 1 - 7 12 2

Conner, McFadden (8) and Lance. Loren Moneypenny, Matt Winck (8) and Brody Massman, Justin Santich-Hughes (10). WP - Matt Winck (4-1). LP - McFadden (2-6). Save - None. 2B - Harvey, Fields, Godinez (NMSU); Ryan Angel, Sam Hall, John Shaffer (SJSU). HR - Lance (6) (NMSU); Ryan Angel (4), Brody Massman (1) (SJSU). 4 hits - Godinez (NMSU). 2 hits - Long, Harvey (NMSU); Ryan Angel, Chris Williammee, Sam Hall, Brody Massman (SJSU). 4 RBI - Sam Hall (SJSU). 3 RBI - Lance (NMSU). Attendance - 317.