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Walk-Off Homer Leads Softball To Split With Fresno State

April 22, 2014

Final Stats

Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two

San Jose, Calif. - Jessie Hufstetler's three-run walk-off home run led the San José State University softball team to a Mountain West Conference doubleheader split with Fresno State on Tuesday. The Spartans lost the series opener, 8-1, but took the second game in dramatic fashion with a 5-3 victory.

In the series' second game, trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Spartans (25-19, 8-6 MW) employed timely hitting with the bases loaded the knot the score. With the bases full, Chelsea Jenner hit a bouncing single up the middle to plate Casey Lester. In the next at bat, Taylor Purdy drew a bases-loading walk. Jessie Meyer followed with a hard-hit single to right field, scoring Erin Rodriguez for the 2-2 score.

Fresno State (25-17, 9-5 MW) regained the lead in the top of the sixth. An attempt by the Spartans to pick off the runner at second went awry and the Bulldogs scored the 3-2 run on the play.

In the bottom of the seventh, however, San José State showed why it is one of the nation's top hitting teams. The inning's first two batters, Michelle Cox and Jessica Garcia reached on a single and walk, respectively. In the third at bat, on a 2-2 count, Jessie Hufstetler rocketed the ball over the fence at left center, scoring Cox and Garcia for the final 5-3 Spartan win.

Madison Fish improved her record to 8-3, striking out the only batter she faced, in the top of the seventh. Starter Allison Lang scattered 10 hits, allowing two earned runs, walking two and striking out two in 6.2 innings of work.

In the series opener, Fresno State was able to capitalize on Spartan errors for the 8-1 victory.

San José State opened scoring in the game, getting an RBI-single from Hufstetler in the first frame for the 1-0 lead.

But in the second inning, the Bulldogs scored five runs off of four hits and three errors to grab a 5-1 lead.

Fresno State hit RBI-singles in the third, fourth and sixth innings for the final 8-1 score.

Katelyn Linford (8-11) allowed nine hits and four earned runs in the loss. She fanned three batters and walked one. In 3.2 combined innings in relief, Allison Lang and Berlyn Rippentrop scattered three hits, allowed one earned run, walked two and struck out two batters.

On the day, Hufstetler batted .800 (4-for-5), going 3-for-3 with her three-run homer in the second game, and an RBI-single in the series opener.

San Jose State 5, Fresno State 3 (Apr 22, 2014 at San Jose, Calif.) (Game 2)

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Fresno State........ 110 001 0 - 3 10 2 (25-17, 9-5 MW)

San Jose State...... 000 200 3 - 5 8 1 (25-19, 8-6 MW)

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Pitchers: Fresno State - HARRIS, Hannah; COMPTON, Jill(7) and GUMZ, Paige. San Jose State -

Lang, Allison; FISH, Madison(7) and Garcia, Jessica; Masutani, Kryn.

Win-FISH, Madison(8-3) Loss-COMPTON, Jill(16-8)

HR FS - MEGEE, Kelly (2).

HR SJSU - Hufstetler, Jessie (4).

HARRIS, H. faced 2 batters in the 7th.

COMPTON, J. faced 1 batter in the 7th.

Fresno State 8, San Jose State 1 (Apr 22, 2014 at San Jose, Calif.) (Game 1)

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Fresno State........ 051 101 0 - 8 12 0 (25-16, 9-4 MW)

San Jose State...... 100 000 0 - 1 6 4 (24-19, 7-6 MW)

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Pitchers: Fresno State - COMPTON, Jill and GUMZ, Paige. San Jose State - Linford, Katelyn;

LANG, Allison(4); RIPPENTROP, Berlyn(6) and Garcia, Jessica; Masutani, Kryn.

Win-COMPTON, Jill(16-7) Loss-LINFORD, Katelyn(8-11)