May 7, 2015
Albuquerque, N.M. -- Jessica Madrid banged out her 18th double of the season to set a new San José State softball single-season record in a 12-9 victory over the New Mexico Lobos at Lobo Softball Field on Thursday night.
Madrid, a junior out of Santa Ana, Calif., went 3-for-4 scored three times, drove in three and hit her first home run as a Spartan, a two-run blast in the third inning, which ignited the SJSU offense. She finished the game a triple shy of the cycle.
In the circle for the Spartans (36-18, 16-6 MW), starter Allison Lang retired the first batter she faced in a one-to-six-to three put out, but was hit in the pitching hand by the ball and never looked comfortable after that play. The Lobos scored three times on four hits, including a two-run homer to lead 3-0 in the bottom of the first.
Lang put two runners on to open the second, which ended her day. She would be responsible for a total of five runs and that combined with a two-run Emma Entzminger (1-for-3, 2 RBIs, BB) double in the top of the second left SJSU trailing 5-2 after two.
From there San José State's offense started clicking and pushed four runs across in both the third and fourth innings.
After Madrid's two-run shot in the third, SJSU scored twice more with two outs. Alyssa Martinez singled and Sharon-Renae Estrada (2-for-2, 2 RBIs, 2 R) walked ahead of Taylor Purdy. Purdy (2-for-4, RBI), who returned to the line up for the first time in four games, drove in Martinez and Estrada scored on a wild pitch in the next at bat.
In the fourth, with runners on second and third and no outs, Jessie Hufstetler (2-for-4, 3 RBIs, R) hammered a double to center scoring both base runners. Two batters later with Hufstetler on third and a runner on first, Estrada hit an RBI double to right center to push the Spartans lead to 10-5.
New Mexico (28-24, 12-10 MW) started a comeback in the sixth with an RBI single and a two-run homer to cut a five-run lead to two at 10-8.
SJSU got two runs back in the top of the seventh on Madrid's record-setting RBI double followed by a Hufstetler RBI single. The Lobos blasted their third round tripper of the game in the bottom of the seventh for the final score of 12-9.
Katelyn Linford, who replaced Lang in the second inning, earned her third win in as many appearances. She tossed four innings giving up five hits and three runs to improve her record to 7-3
Madison Fish earned her first save of the year, and the second of her career, in two innings of work.
The Lobos used four pitchers with Lisa Rodrigues taking the loss. She pitched one and a third innings of relief allowing six runs on five hits. She falls to 2-5 on the year.
The teams play game two of the three game set on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. (PT).
San Jose State 12, New Mexico 9 (May 07, 2015 at Albuquerque, N.M.)
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San Jose State...... 024 400 2 - 12 12 1 (36-18, 16-6 MW)
New Mexico.......... 320 003 1 - 9 12 2 (28-24, 12-10 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Lang, Allison; LINFORD, Katelyn(2); FISH, Madison(6) and
Entzminger, Emma. New Mexico - SHEEHAN; RODRIGUES(3); MCPHERSON(4); FORTNER(7) and JOHNSON.
Win-LINFORD, Katelyn(7-3) Save-FISH, Madison(1) Loss-RODRIGUES(2-5)
T-2:30 A-678
HR SJ - Madrid, Jessica (1).
HR NM - HEIMBURG (2); JOHNSON (6); HALEMAN (6).
Weather: 73 degrees, partly cloudy
LANG faced 2 batters in the 2nd.
SHEEHAN faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
LINFORD faced 3 batters in the 6th.
MCPHERSON faced 2 batters in the 7th.