Feb. 13, 2015
Final Stats - Wright State
Final Stats - Drake
Tucson, Ariz. - The San José State softball team flexed its muscles on its opening day at the Hillenbrand Invitational. The Spartans rapped out 25 hits and scored 25 runs in a pair of victories, 12-4 and 13-2 in five innings, over Drake and Wright State, respectively.
"We played well in all three phases (hitting, pitching and fielding) today," said head coach Peter Turner. "What we are looking for in our game performance is to repeat what we do in practice and execute it every time. I'm pleased with the progress we made from last week to today, but we still have more to do."
The Spartans improve to 6-2 on the year and will face No. 14 Arizona (3:00 p.m. PT) and Loyola-Chicago (6:00 p.m. PT) on Saturday.
Game 1 vs. Drake
The Spartans opened the scoring in the top of the second. Alyssa Martinez drew a one-out walk and then on a 1-2 count, Erin Rodriguez clobbered the Drake pitcher's offering over the fence. It staked the Spartans to a 2-0 lead and was Rodriguez's first round tripper and first two RBI of the year. San José State put two more runners on in the inning but couldn't push any more runs across.
It took no time for SJSU to double its advantage. Michelle Cox walked to lead off the third and then up stepped Jessie Hufstetler. She would go 3-for-4 with a career-high seven RBI in the game and got it started with a two-run blast. San José State led 4-0 after two and a half.
In the fourth, the Spartans used a little two-out lightening to score three more and push the lead to 7-0. With two outs, Jessica Madrid reached on an error and Cox followed with a single to left. Huffstetler dug in and, on a 3-1 count, ripped a shot to right and was off to the races. When the dust settled she had smacked her second homer of the game...a three-run inside the park job.
Allison Lang, who had cruised through the first three innings, allowing just two harmless hits, saw Drake get a lead off single followed by a two-run home run.
In the sixth, Hufstetler stroked a two-out two RBI single, plating Madrid and Chelsea Jenner, returning the Spartans to a seven-run lead, 9-2.
Drake (4-4) has perhaps its best opportunity to get back into the game in the bottom of the frame. They loaded the bases with no outs on a single sandwiched between a pair of walks. Lang then induced a fielder's choice, strike out and ground out to snuff out the rally.
In the seventh, SJSU scored three more runs on four hits. With one out the Spartans strung together four singles, the last two by Daisy Conchas and Jenner plated runs. Madrid knocked in the final of San José State's 12 runs on a fielder's choice.
Drake got a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh for the final score of 12-4.
Lang pitched a complete game scattering nine hits and striking out a career-high seven. She gave up four runs and walked three. The decision improves her record to 2-0 on the year.
"Alli was awesome against Drake," said Turner. "When she got in trouble a couple of times, she worked her way out of it. Today she did exactly what we need her to do every time she takes the ball."
San Jose State 12, Drake 4 (Feb 13, 2015 at Tucson, Ariz.)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------San Jose State...... 022 302 3 - 12 12 0 (5-2)Drake............... 000 200 2 - 4 9 2 (4-4)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------Pitchers: San Jose State - Lang, Allison and Conchas, Daisy; Akey, Brittanie. Drake - Schmidt; McKinnon(7) and Chambers. Win-LANG, Allison(2-0) Loss-Schmidt(2-3) T-2:05 A-284 HR SJ - Hufstetler, Jessie 2 (3); Rodriguez, Erin (1). HR DU - Nybo (2); Alexander (1).
Game 2 vs. Wright State
There is nothing like scoring 11 runs in the first inning to get a game off to a good start.
The Spartans did just that sending 14 players to the plate against Wright State (0-2). Madrid led off with a double and two batters later Hufstetler drove her in on the first pitch she saw. Two batters after that, Erin Rodriguez singled in Hufstetler. Emma Entzminger walked to load the bases.
Two batters later, with two outs, Conchas walked and drove in the third run of the inning. Casey Lester then singled in a run followed by Madrid's second hit of the inning, an RBI single. Michelle Cox walked in the next run. Hufstetler was hit by a pitch, driving in her second run of the inning, and then Estrada stepped to the plate with the bases still loaded.
On a 3-1 offering and with no place to put her, Estrada cranked a shot over the right field fence, for the capper of the inning, a grand slam. It's her sixth home run and second grand slam of the season, but she wasn't done.
In the circle for San José State, Madison Fish tossed 3.2 innings allowing one hit and an unearned run, which came in the top of the second on a two-out error by Estrada. Fish earned the win and improving her record to 3-1.
Leading 11-1 going to the bottom of the third, Hufstetler led off with a solo shot to right and was followed to the plate by Estrada who also went deep to left, for her seventh homer of the year, to increase the Spartans advantage to 13-1.
Wright State added an unearned run in the top of the fifth with reliever Berlyn Rippentrop in the circle, but it proved meaningless with the 13-2 victory.
Against Wright State, Estrada was 3-3 with five RBI. Hufstetler went 2-2 with three batted in and Madrid scored twice and knocked one in going 2-2 from the plate.
As a team, San Jose State was 13-24 (.542) from the plate, .545 (6-11) with runners in scoring position and .600 (3-5) with the bases loaded.
San Jose State 13, Wright State 2 (Feb 13, 2015 at Tucson, Ariz.)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------Wright State........ 0 10 01 - 2 1 2 (0-2)San Jose State...... (11)02 0X - 13 13 2 (6-2)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------Pitchers: Wright State - WEAR and K. PFEFFER. San Jose State - Fish, Madison; RIPPENTROP, Berlyn(4) and Conchas, Daisy; Masutani, Kryn. Win-FISH, Madison(3-1) Loss-WEAR(0-2) T-1:39 A-48 HR SJ - Hufstetler, Jessie (2); ESTRADA, Sharon-Rena 2 (7).