April 28, 2015
San Jose, Calif. -- The San José State Spartans spotted Santa Clara seven runs through the first three and a third innings, then battled back to within a run, but lost 7-6 on Tuesday afternoon on SJSU Field.
"I sort of saw this coming," head coach Peter Turner said. "We had a long weekend on the road. We didn't get back until Monday morning and had to quickly turn around and play today.Â
"All credit due to Santa Clara. They took advantage of the situations that were presented and put us in a hole we couldn't climb out of today. Now our focus is on our last six games, finding a way to win all of them and seeing what happens."
The Spartans' (33-17) starter Allison Lang gave up two runs in the first inning before a batter was retired on her way to a three hit, three run frame.
In the second, Santa Clara (15-32) tacked on two more runs on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and an RBI single to make it a 5-0 lead.
Lang (13-9) set the Broncos down in order in the third and got the first out of the fourth. But then a single, a fielder's choice on which second baseman Anissa Pinedo committed an error, another single and a two-RBI double ended her day. In three and a third, Lang gave up eight hits and seven runs, five of which were earned. She struck out four and walked one in the loss.
Katelyn Linford came on in relief with one out and runners on second and third. She got the first batter she faced to foul out and struck out the next to end the threat. She finished the game tossing three and two thirds innings of two-hit, shutout ball.
Trailing 7-0 heading to the bottom of the fourth, the Spartans finally got on the board.
With two outs and nobody on, Erin Rodriguez (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) singled and was lifted for pinch runner Casey Lester. Pinedo followed that single with a walk and Emma Entzminger (1-for-3, RBI) drove Lester in with a shot up the middle.
Linford set the Broncos down in order in the fifth and the Spartans bats went back to work.
Michelle Cox (2-for-4, 2 R) led off with a single, which was followed by a Jessica Madrid single. Two batters later Sharon-Renae Estrada reach on an error to load the bases with one out.
Alyssa Martinez (1-for-4, RBI, R) hit into a fielder's choice plating a run and Rodriguez then doubled in two more to cut the deficit to 7-4 after five innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Spartans tacked on two more runs to make it a 7-6 ballgame.
Nicole Schultz hit a one-out single through the right side and got to third base on Cox's double over the right fielder's head. Madrid (2-for-3, RBI) hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Schultz. Hufstetler then singled to left plated Cox and got the Spartans to within a run, but that was as close as they would get in the 7-6 loss.
The Spartans return to Mountain West action on Friday afternoon when the host game one of a three-game series against Nevada. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m.
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Santa Clara 7, San Jose State 6 (Apr 28, 2015 at San Jose, Calif.)
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Santa Clara......... 320 200 0 -Â 7 10Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (15-32)
San Jose State...... 000 132 0 -Â 6 12Â 2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (33-17)
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Pitchers: Santa Clara - GONZALES; VIERRA(7) and BERNARD. San Jose State - Lang, Allison;
LINFORD, Katelyn(4) and Conchas, Daisy; Entzminger, Emma.
Win-GONZALES(12-14)Â Save-VIERRA(1)Â Loss-LANG, Allison(13-9)Â T-1:56Â A-161