March 14, 2015
vs. Baylor Box Score
Santee, Calif. - San José State softball is the nations 38th highest scoring team at 6.36 runs per game, but on day two of the San Diego Classic, the high powered Spartans were held in check scoring just four runs in two games.
The Spartans (19-10) lost to 15th ranked Baylor 3-1 in an early afternoon affair and the came back in the evening and ground out a 3-0 win over Harvard to earn a split. In two days of action at Sportsplex USA in Santee, SJSU has a 3-1 record and has out scored its opponents 31-9.
Game 1 vs. #15 Baylor
San Jose State got a hit in six of seven innings and topped 15th-ranked Bears 11-to-8 in base knocks, but when the opportunities presented themselves to put run on the board, the Spartans came up short.
SJSU's first opportunity came in the second when they banged out three hits, but left the bases loaded. Erin Rodriguez (2-for-4) led off with a double, and two batters later Emma Entzminger (2-for-3, R) singled to move Rodriguez to third. Nicole Schutlz's ground out allowed Entzminger to get into scoring position. With two-out and a runners on second and third, Michelle Cox (2-for-4) the beat out an infield single, but Rodriguez couldn't score on the play. The Spartans left them loaded after a come backer to the pitcher ended the inning.
In the third, Sharon-Renae Estrada (2-for-3) got a one-out single followed by a walk, but San Jose State couldn't make anything happen after that and left two more runners on.
In the fourth the Spartans finally broke through. Entzminger, Schultz and Cox opened the inning with consecutive singles to load the bases. A Jessica Madrid fielder's choice to second base plated Entzminger on a throwing error to home by the Baylor second baseman. A strikeout and then a fly out to left, which turned into a double play at the plate, ended the inning. The Spartans grabbed a 1-0 lead, but two more runners were left on.
Baylor (17-6) came right back and scored two runs in the fifth on two hits. It was set up when starter Allison Lang surrendered a leadoff walk, which got into scoring position following a steal. A single drove in the run. Another single, and another stolen base put Baylor right back in business. A two-out single to left plated the second run. Baylor added a third run in the sixth to make it 3-1.
Lang pitched seven innings, scattering eight hits, but gave up five bases on balls. Her record is 6-5.
"Allie was superb today," head coach Peter Turner said. "I don't want to nitpick but the first run came after a leadoff walk. Our slogan is `make them earn everything' and that one mistake ends up scoring. But Allie battled a very good hitting team and limited them to just three runs. Our offense didn't pick her up."
SJSU left another runner on in the fifth and in the bottom of the seventh got a one-out single from Estrada, followed by a single from Alyssa Martinez and a both runners advanced into scoring position. But San José State once again couldn't push any runs across and lost 3-1.
"We needed some quality at bats at key times and we didn't get them," Turner said. "We put our selves in positions to challenge them, but didn't execute when we needed to.
"We should have had a better read where she was going to pitch us in the last inning. We looked like we were surprised. We have to keep playing and find a way to beat these top-20 teams. I think we belong but until we beat them nobody will know."
Baylor 3, San Jose State 1 (Mar 14, 2015 at Santee, Calif.)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------
Baylor.............. 000 021 0 - 3 8 2 (17-6)San Jose State...... 000 100 0 - 1 11 2 (18-10)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------Pitchers: Baylor - Toben; Potts(3); Stearns(4) and Christensen; Lisenby.San Jose State - Lang, Allison and Entzminger, Emma; Conchas, Daisy.Win-Stearns(7-5) Loss-LANG, Allison(6-5) T-2:10 A-511 Weather: 90F clearPotts faced 4 batters in the 4th.
Game 2 vs. Harvard
Madison Fish pitches a complete game two hitter in shutting out the Harvard Crimson 3-0.
The Spartans began quickly Michelle Cox (3-for-3, 3 R, SB) walked followed by a Jessica Madrid single. Two batters later Sharon-Renae Estrada drove in Cox and the Spartans led 1-0. But the next two batters couldn't keep the momentum going.
San José State left a total of five runners on through four innings. In the bottom of the fourth Harvard had its first really good scoring chance. They got runners on second and third with one out and looked poised to get on the scoreboard and perhaps take a lead.
But Fish (10-3) slammed the door. She struck out the next batter and induced a ground out to end the inning and preserve the 1-0 lead.
In the fifth the SJSU got its second run. Cox led off with a single and stole second. Four batters later with Cox on third and Estrada (1-for-2, RBI) on first Erin Rodriguez (2-for-4, RBI) picked up the RBI on an infield single to make it 2-0.
Nothing else came across until the seventh when...you guessed it...Cox led off with a booming triple to the gap in left center. Jessica Madrid (2-for-4, RBI) then laid down a perfect bunt. When the throw went the first base she dashed home and slid under the tag for the 3-0 lead.
Harvard (3-8) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on an error and a pair of base on balls, but with two out and the winning run at the plate, Fish closed the door getting a ground out to earn her 10th win of the season.
San José State wraps up play in the San Diego Classic with a single game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., against an old nemesis, the New Mexico State Aggies.
San Jose State 3, Harvard 0 (Mar 14, 2015 at Santee, Calif.)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------San Jose State...... 100 010 1 - 3 8 2 (19-10)Harvard............. 000 000 0 - 0 2 2 (3-8)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------Pitchers: San Jose State - Fish, Madison and Conchas, Daisy.Harvard - Ricciardone, Laura and Appelbe, Katherine.Win-FISH, Madison(10-3) Loss-Ricciardone, Laura(1-3) T-1:29 A-253