March 13, 2015
vs. USD Box Score
Santee, Calif. - Hitting .346, the San José State softball team rank 17th in the nation in batting average. In a pair of victories on Friday, the Spartans were even more impressive at the plate. They rapped out 28 hits in 65 at bats (.430) and defeated the Utah Valley Wolverines 15-0 in six innings and then topped the University of San Diego Toreros 12-6 to sweep the first day of the San Diego Classic.
Game 1 vs. Utah Valley
San Jose State, which ranks 38th in the nation in scoring at 6.36 runs per game, erupted for 15 against Utah Valley (9-14) in the team's first game of the day.
The top of the order (Michelle Cox, Jessica Madrid, Jessie Hufstetler and Sharon-Renae Estrada) were a combined 11-for-19 (.579) with nine RBI and 10 runs scored as the Spartans pushed across four runs in the third and 11 in the sixth.
SJSU sent 10 batters to the plate in the third. They scored four runs on two hits and five Utah Valley errors. The hits came from Cox (3-for-5, 3R, RBI) and Madrid (3-for-4, 3R, RBI) who led off the inning.
Utah Valley's Bailey Moore then uncorked back-to-back wild pitches, which allowed Cox to score and Madrid to move to second. Hufstetler, Estrada and Alyssa Martinez all reach on errors. Estrada's at bat produced a run as did Martinez's, on a throwing error.
With Estrada on third and Martinez on second, a passed ball allowed Estrada to score the fourth run of the frame.
In the sixth, leading 4-0, SJSU scored 11 runs, a season-high, on 10 hits. With the bases loaded and one out, Husftetler (3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 R) knocked in the two of three she would plate that inning, with single to right center. Estrada (2-for-5, 4 RBI 2 R) followed Hufstetler with a two-run single up the middle.
Two batters later, with two outs, Erin Rodriguez began a succession of nine straight Spartans to reach base safely (seven hits and two walks). By the time the third out was recorded, San José State had sent 16 to the plate and led 15-0.
While the offense was clicking, in the circle, Madison Fish struck out nine and allowed just one hit in five innings of work to earn her ninth win of the year. The hit came in the fifth after pair of one-out walks. However, with the bases loaded, Fish (9-3) got a strikeout and then induced a foul out to end the UVU threat.
"The way Maddie was pitching before her back tightened up there was no way (UVU) was going to get anything off her," head coach Peter Turner said. "She controlled the (strike) zone well and the (five) walks she gave up were attributable to her back."
Berlyn Rippentrop came on in the sixth and closed the game out for the Spartans (17-9).
San Jose State 15, Utah Valley 0 (Mar 13, 2015 at Santee, Calif.)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------San Jose State...... 004 00(11) - 15 14 1 (17-9)Utah Valley......... 000 000 - 0 1 7 (9-14)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------Pitchers: San Jose State - Fish, Madison; RIPPENTROP, Berlyn(6) and Entzminger, Emma.Utah Valley - Moore, B; Christensen(6); Shadle, M(6) and Barrios, K.Win-FISH, Madison(9-3) Loss-Moore, B(6-7) T-2:00 A-92 Weather: 60, Sunny
Game 2 vs. San Diego
The USD Toreros (14-13) out hit the Spartans 14-10, but lost the battle on the scoreboard 12-6.
San Diego got two hits, including an RBI single, in the to of the first. It would be the only lead they would enjoy as the Spartans came up in the bottom of the frame and put up an eight-spot.
A single, fielding error, ground out, and walk loaded the bases. Alyssa Martinez (2-for-4, 3 RBI, R) then singled in two runs. Taylor Purdy was hit by a pitch to load them back up and two batters later Emma Entzminger (2-for-3, 2 RBI, R) singled up the middle for two more Spartans runs. Nicole Schultz (1-lfor-3, 2 R, RBI) singled in a run and after Michelle Cox (3-for-3, 3 R) walked to load the bases again, Jessica Madrid was walked to score the sixth run of the inning. Jessie Hufstetler was hit, which drove in a run, and Cox scored on a wild pitch for the seventh and eight of the frame.
San Diego got a run back in the third on two hits and an error to make the score 8-2 heading to the bottom of the inning.
The Spartans (18-9) scored four more runs on five hits to take a 12-2 advantage after three. With one out and the bases loaded Hufstetler was hit for the second time, which drove in a run. That was followed by an Erin Rodriguez two-RBI double down the right field and Alyssa Martinez singled up the middle to plate the final run of the inning.
"The key at bat was with Hufstetler up and the bases loaded," Turner said. "A hit there (instead of being hit by a pitch) and we absolutely blow the game open and then can afford a bad inning."
USD scored a run in the top of the fourth to make it a 12-3 game and, with an assist from two Spartan errors; they got two more in the fifth to avoid being run ruled.
Allison Lang pitched a compete game and improved her record to 6-4. She gave up 14 hits and six runs, but just three were earned.
"I thought Allie (Lang) pitched well," Turner said. "She has been battling the flu and to be honest, we didn't play particularly well behind her," Turner said. "Overall, I was happy with our hitting in both games, but we got sloppy defensively and played at a level that we can not accept. I gave some people chances to perform and they didn't get it done the way they are trained to do things. We need to tighten that up."
San Jose State will get a chance to clean up their defense when they face #9 Baylor at 2:00 p.m. and then Harvard at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.
San Jose State 12, San Diego 6 (Mar 13, 2015 at Santee, Calif.)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------San Diego........... 101 120 1 - 6 14 1 (14-13)San Jose State...... 804 000 X - 12 10 5 (18-9)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------Pitchers: San Diego - VON SPRECKEN; HERNANDEZ(1); SABBATINI(3) and GRABOWSKI; COBB.San Jose State - Lang, Allison and Entzminger, Emma; Conchas, Daisy.Win-LANG, Allison(6-4) Loss-VON SPRECKEN(10-5) T-2:11 A-78 Weather: Sunny Low 80s