April 19, 2015
San Jose, Calif. -- The San Jose State softball team took a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning, hung on to defeat the Utah State 5-4 and completed a three-game sweep of the Aggies on Sunday afternoon.
The win improved the Spartans' record to 31-15 overall, 11-4 in Mountain West action. In conference play, they are tied in the loss column with first-place Fresno State, but the Bulldogs have played one more series than SJSU. However, by virtue of its two-one series win earlier this season, the Spartans hold the tiebreaker against their rival from the Valley. Utah State is now 16-30 on the season, 8-10 in conference play.
San José State looked like it would have an easy day after putting three runs on board against Aggies starting pitcher Alleyah Armendariz in the first inning.
With one out, Jessica Madrid singled, Jessie Hufstetler reached on an error and Sharon-Renae Estrada walked to load the bases. Alyssa Martinez (1-for-3, R, RBI) hit into a fielder's choice, which erased Hufstetler at third, but scored Madrid for a 1-0 lead.
Erin Rodriguez (1-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI) then ripped a shot down the right field line, which Aggies fielder Hailey Froton dove for, missed and watched roll to the wall. Everyone was off to the races. Estrada scored from second. Martinez came all the way around from first and Rodriguez slid safely into third for her first triple of the season and second of her Spartans career.
Leading off in the second, Armendariz helped her own cause. She crushed Madison Fish's 2-1 offering over the left field fence to cut the lead to 3-1.
The Spartans loaded the bases in the second with two outs and had a chance to put more runs on the board, but left all three stranded on a groundout.
Leading off the Utah State fourth, Armendariz (2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI) blasted another solo homer. This time it was to dead center field, and trimmed the SJSU lead to 3-2.
In the bottom of the frame, San José State got both runs back. Nicole Schultz (2-for-3, 2 2B, R) led off with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball. Pinch hitter Anissa Pinedo singled to center, knocking in Schultz.
Michelle Cox, who Pinedo had hit for, reentered the game and promptly moved into scoring position by stealing second. Madrid (2-for-3, R, RBI) singled to left, which plated Cox and moved the Spartans lead back to three runs, 5-2.
When Armendariz came up with two outs in the top of the sixth, Fish was lifted in favor of Allison Lang. Lang struck her out to end the inning.
In the seventh, Lang walked the first two batters, who then advanced to second and third on a groundout. Another groundout and then a single scored a pair of runs and cut the lead to 5-4. With the tying run on second, Lang struck out Sarah Chow to end the game.
Fish (14-4) earned the win, her second in as many days. She gave up three hits, two runs and struck out four without walking a batter. Lang picked up her seventh save of the season, which ties her with Amanda Pridmore for the program's single-season record for saves. Pridmore saved seven in 2013.
Armendariz took the loss and drops to 1-13.
The sweep for the Spartans is the second in three home Mountain West Conference series this year. San José State heads back out on the road next week with a three-game set at the UNLV Rebels.
San Jose State 5, Utah State 4 (Apr 19, 2015 at San Jose, Calif.)
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Utah State.......... 010 100 2 - 4 4 1 (16-30, 8-10 MW)
San Jose State...... 300 200 X - 5 7 0 (31-15, 11-4 MW)
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Pitchers: Utah State - ARMENDARIZ; MCCRACKEN, J(4) and NAMBA, K.. San Jose State -
Fish, Madison; LANG, Allison(6) and Entzminger, Emma.
Win-FISH, Madison(14-4) Save-LANG, Allison(7) Loss-ARMENDARIZ(1-13)
T-1:43 A-363
HR US - ARMENDARIZ 2.
ARMENDARIZ faced 4 batters in the 4th.