Top-seeded San Diego State extends Mountain West tournament final round, beats Washington State in Sunday's opener

May 24-MESA, Ariz. - Top-seeded San Diego State extended the Mountain West Conference baseball tournament, forcing a winner-take-all second game Sunday with a 9-2 win over second-seeded Washington State.

The teams meet again at 3:45 p.m. Sunday in the championship game at Sloan Park. The game can be streamed online at themw.com.

WSU (29-26) entered the final round 2-0 at the tourney after beating SDSU 14-9 on Saturday, and needed only one win against the Aztecs (36-23) on Sunday to claim the Mountain West crown and clinch its first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2010. SDSU rallied past Air Force 11-8 on Saturday night to stay alive.

The Cougars' offense overpowered the Aztecs in the first game, but WSU's lineup struggled Sunday against SDSU starter Drew Talavs (4-4), who gave up just one WSU baserunner over the first five innings. Talavs allowed three hits and no walks with five strikeouts over 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

WSU fell behind 3-0 in the third inning, then trailed 7-0 after the Aztecs' four-run seventh - seven consecutive SDSU batters reached base with two outs.

The Cougs didn't score until the eighth inning, when Kyler Northrop's sacrifice flyout plated Ollie Obenour, who led off with a walk and moved up on Mason Pirello's double. Ryan Skjonsby added an RBI single in the ninth.

SDSU's Anthony Marnell IV hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Brock Blatter (1-2), usually a reliever, gave WSU a respectable start. The junior right-hander went a career-high five innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on three hits and one walk with one strikeout. Three WSU relievers combined to allow five runs on three hits and three walks over the next 2 1/3 innings after Blatter exited.

Both teams managed six hits, but the Cougs walked once while SDSU drew four walks and had four batters hit by pitches.

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