April 17, 2015
San Jose, Calif. - Michelle Cox extended her season and team-high hitting streak to 18 games and drove in three runs in San José State's 5-2 victory over the Utah State Aggies, Friday afternoon on SJSU Field.
Cox (2-for-4, 3 RBI), a senior out of Sydney, Australia, extended the streak with a two-RBI single in the fourth, which gave the Spartans (29-15, 9-4 MW) a lead they would not relinquish.
The victory assured the team of a winning record for the third consecutive year and is the 250th of head coach Peter Turner's SJSU career.
Aggies starter Noelle Johnson held the Spartans in check, allowing just two walks and a Jessica Madrid single through three innings, while Utah State's offense scored single runs in the first and second for a 2-0 lead.
But in the fourth, the SJSU bats awoke.
Alyssa Martinez and Erin Rodriguez led off with back-to-back singles. After Martinez was erased on a fielder's choice and Emma Entzminger walked, the bases were loaded. Nicole Schultz (2-for-2, R, 2 RBI) then laced a shot through the right side to plate San José State's first run. Cox, next in the order, drove in two more with her single to center and the Spartans had a crooked number on the board. They picked up four hits in the inning and had a 3-2 lead.
SJSU put the game away two innings later. Taylor Purdy (1-for-3, 2 R) led off with a single and was moved into scoring position on an Entzminger sacrifice bunt. Shultz singled to center driving in Purdy and following a fielding error in centerfield ended up on third base.
Cox the laid down a perfect bunt. Schultz, running on contact, scored easily as the Aggies tried to get Cox at first. The throw was late and, with no one covering second, Cox just kept running. She picked up her second bunt double in the last three games and the San José State lead 5-2.
In the circle for the Spartans, Allison Lang earned her 11th win. She tossed a complete game and, after giving up five hits and two runs in the first two innings, limited Utah State (16-28, 8-8 MW) to four singles over the final four innings. It's her 13th complete game and she is one win shy of her single-season high (12), which she set last season.
Johnson (14-13) took the loss surrendering nine hits and five runs, four of which were earned.
Madrid, Sharon-Renae Estrada, Martinez, Rodriguez and Purdy had a hit each. Among the Spartans nine hits, Estrada was the only one with an extra base hit, a double.
The Aggies top-two hitters, Sarah Chow and Jolene Koons, had five of their team's nine base knocks, picking up three and two hits, respectively.
These two teams are back at it again tomorrow at SJSU Field. First pitch, in this Mountain West Conference series, is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
San Jose State 5, Utah State 2 (Apr 17, 2015 at San Jose, Calif.)
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Utah State.......... 110 000 0 - 2 9 1 (16-28, 8-8 MW)
San Jose State...... 000 302 X - 5 9 1 (29-15, 9-4 MW)
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Pitchers: Utah State - JOHNSON, N. and BUTTACAVOLI. San Jose State - Lang, Allison and Entzminger, Emma.
Win-LANG, Allison(11-8) Loss-JOHNSON, N.(14-13)
T-1:41 A-153