April 25, 2015
Las Vegas, Nev. -- San José State scored three times in the first inning and never looked back in posting its second run-rule win in as many days against Mountain West opponent UNLV. On Saturday, the Spartan need only five innings to defeat the Rebels 10-0.
In the victory, the Spartans (33-15, 13-4 MW) set single-season program records for runs and RBIs. They have scored 311 runs this year, passing the 2010 team's record of 304 and its 281 RBIs eclipse the record of 275, which was set last season.
With two away and Michelle Cox (1-for-2, 3 R, 2 BB) on third and Jessie Hufstetler (1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB) on second, Alyssa Martinez, Erin Rodriguez and Taylor Purdy (1-for-3, RBI) strung together three consecutive RBI singles to stake SJSU to a 3-0 lead after half an inning. That half inning and those three runs were all UNLV starter Morgan Ettinger would get.
In the Spartans' second Kwyn Cooper entered the circle for the Rebels (22-26, 8-9 MW). She walked the first two batters she faced, Las Vegas native Nicole Schultz and Cox. Two batters later, San José State had Cox at third and Jessica Madrid (3-for-4, 3 R, RBI) on second with one out. Hufstetler singled in Cox to make is 4-0 and Sharon-Renae Estrada followed her with an RBI ground out bring Madrid home and increase the lead to 5-0.
Allison Lang, in the circle for SJSU for the second straight game, was on the razor's edge in the early going. In each of the first three innings, she faced runners on second and third with one out, but pitched her way out of each jam.
In the first she got consecutive strikeouts to slam the door on the Rebels. In the second and third innings, Lang induced a strikeout and groundout to end the threats.
San José State got four hits and four runs in the fourth to blow the game open. Cox singled, followed by a Madrid single and a Hufstetler walk to load the bases with no outs. Estrada (1-for-3, 3 RBIs) then ripped a single up the middle, which plated Cox and Madrid. On a throw to the plate to try to nail Madrid, Hufstetler and Estrada moved into scoring position.
Martinez (1-for-2, 2 RBIs, R) followed Estrada with a fly ball to right. Hufstetler scored on the out and Chelsea Jenner, who came on to run for Estrada, moved up to third. Rodriguez (3-for-3, 2 RBIs) drove in Jenner for her second RBI of the game and a 9-0 Spartans lead.
The final SJSU run came in the fifth. Schultz, hit a one-out grounder to Rebel third baseman Jadelyn Yadao-Valdez. Yadao-Valdez sailed her throw over the first basemen. Right fielder Fahren Glackin wasn't backing up the play and Schultz was off to the races. She slid safely into third. Two batters later Madrid singled her in with a shot up the middle.
Lang (13-8) gave up a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth, but induced a ground out to end the game. She scattered five hits and struck out four in five innings to earn the win.
Ettinger was tagged with the loss. Her record falls to 8-9.
The Spartans will go for the sweep on Sunday. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m.
San Jose State 10, UNLV 0 (Apr 25, 2015 at Las Vegas, Nev.)
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San Jose State...... 320 41 - 10 11 0 (33-15, 13-4 MW)
UNLV................ 000 00 - 0 5 1 (22-26, 8-9 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Lang, Allison and Entzminger, Emma; Conchas, Daisy. UNLV -
ETTINGER, M.; COOPER, K.(2) and STOVER, B..
Win-LANG, Allison(13-8) Loss-ETTINGER, M.(8-9) T-1:33 A-366