The No. 6-seeded Utah Utes capped an impressive Friday, slipping past No. 4 San Diego State, 4-1, in the championship round of the 2009 Conoco Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament at Lupton Stadium.

Utah (25-29) and San Diego State (40-20) will meet again at 1 p.m. CT Saturday for the championship. The Aztecs were forced into the if necessary game after suffering their first loss in the double-elimination tournament. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

"This is a great day for Utah baseball and for this club," Utah coach Bill Kinneberg said.

San Diego State is searching for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991, while Utah hasn't been to the postseason since 1963.

The Utes extended their amazing run with two wins on Friday, first knocking off top-seed TCU, then the Aztecs, who handed the Utes a heart-breaking loss Thursday night. Utah's top starter Jordan Whatcott stifled SDSU's lineup going six innings and allowing just three hits while striking out four. Whatcott (5-2) had an incredible day earning his first career save against TCU and then added his second win of the tournament vs. SDSU.

Whatcott was relieved by Utah's No. 2 starter Brian Budrow, who was pitching on one day's rest. Budrow went three scoreless innings and allowed two hits to earn his first save.

"It's all about determination and we know if we play our best ball that we can run through this thing," said Utah freshman catcher C.J Cron, who was 2-for-4. "We proved that so far and we have one big one left."

Utah jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when left fielder Tyler Yagi ripped a two-run single up the middle off SDSU starter Tyler Lavigne. The Aztecs cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth on RBI groundout by Cory Vaughn.

"We just didn't do anything offensively tonight," San Diego State coach Tony Gywnn said. "But we earned the right for them to beat us twice so we get another opportunity to play."

The Utes added one run in the eighth and ninth innings. Austin Jones had a two-out run-scoring single in the eighth and Corey Shimada popped a two-out solo home run to right field in the ninth.

Lavigne, who threw on two days rest, tossed seven innings and allowed four hits and two runs while striking out six.