April 10, 2015
San Diego, Calif. -- In a game that saw five lead changes and the Spartans take a five-run advantage into the bottom of the sixth inning, the San José State softball team escaped with a 10-9 win over San Diego State Aztecs in the first game of the three-game series with huge implications on the Mountain West Conference standings.
For the 22nd time this year SJSU reached double digit hits, pounding out 16 base knocks, and in those games the team is 22-0. Jessica Madrid led the attack going 4-for-5 with three doubles. She scored twice and drove in two.
Sharon-Renae Estrada also had two RBIs and went 2-for-5. Taylor Purdy and Nicole Schultz each scored twice and drove in a run. Purdy was 2-for-4 and Schultz 2-for-2. Emma Entzminger scored a run, drove in another and got two hits in four at bats.
SJSU (27-14, 7-3 MW) scored in five of seven innings starting with a run in the top of the first. With one out, Madrid doubled and two batters later an Estrada single drove her in.
The lead didn't look like it would last long after SDSU (27-15, 10-3 MW) loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the frame. But Spartans starter Allison Lang struck out the next two batters swinging and induced a comebacker, which she flipped to Entzminger for the force at home to end the threat.
In the bottom of the second Lang gave up a lead off triple, however, the runner was erased on a fielder's choice to shortstop Alyssa Martinez who cut her down trying to score.
The next two batters walked to load the bases, but again Lang got a comebacker to record the second out on the force play at the plate. The inning looked to be over when she induced a ground ball to second, but Taylor Purdy came up on the ball, it scooted past her and rolled to the wall allowing three unearned runs to score.
The Spartans came right back in the top of the third using the Madrid double-Estrada RBI single combo to cut the lead to 3-2.
In the fourth SJSU retook the lead. With one out and Entzminger on second and Michelle Cox on first, Madrid hit her third consecutive double to drive in Entzminger. Cox got to third on the play and scored on a wild pitch.
The Spartans led 4-3, but San Diego State put two of its own back on the board in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead 5-4. With two outs, Lang was lifted for Katelyn Linford, who got a pop out to end the frame with runner stranded on second and third.
San José State put three runs on the board in both the fifth and sixth innings to bust the game open and take a 10-5 advantage into the bottom of the sixth.
San Diego State got three hits with two outs in the sixth, scored two runs to trim the Spartans lead to 10-7. They left the bases loaded in the inning, three of the 11 runners the Aztecs left on in the game.
In the seventh, Madison Fish, who came on for Linford in the sixth, surrendered a pair of solo home runs before Lang reentered to get the final out and secure the 10-9 win.
Linford earned the win to improve to 5-3 on the year. In her last four appearances, all in relief, she is 3-0, has pitched 7 1/3 innings and given three runs. Lang who started the game earned her sixth save of the year.
For the Aztecs, Erica Romero (25-12) took the loss. She tossed 4 1/3 innings giving up 12 hits and seven runs. San Diego State had three players with double digit hits led by Jenavee Peres who drove in three runs while going 2-for-4.
The teams resume the series on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m.
San Jose State 10, San Diego State 9 (4/10/15 at San Diego, Calif.)
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San Jose State...... 101 233 0 - 10 16 1 (27-14, 7-3 MW)
San Diego State..... 030 202 2 - 9 11 4 (27-15, 10-3 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Lang, Allison; LINFORD, Katelyn(5); FISH, Madison(7) and Entzminger, Emma.
San Diego State - ROMERO; CABLE(5); STEWART(7) and PERES.
Win-LINFORD, Katelyn(5-3) Save-LANG, Allison(6) Loss-ROMERO(25-12)
T-2:26 A-316 HR SDSU - JORDAN (5); PERES (4).