March 17, 2016
San Jose, Calif. - In its first appearance on SJSU Field this season, the San Jose State Softball team handed the Colgate Raiders a pair of solid beatings, 9-1 in six innings and 10-2 in five, on Thursday afternoon.
The Spartans (8-15) entered the game with a team batting average of .296 through its first 21 games, but pounded the Raiders pitching staff to the tune of a .431 clip (22-for-51). They had 10 extra base hits including home runs from Casey Watt, Brittany Abacherli and Jessie Hufstetler and a triple from Jessica Madrid.
GAME 1
SJSU got on the board in the bottom of the second. Taylor Purdy (3-for-3, R, 4RBI) doubled to lead off the inning and two batters later, Watt traded places with her, with a double of her own, for a 1-0 lead.
Colgate (1-10) would tie the game in the top of the third on an RBI single from Marisa Dowling.
SJSU struck right back with three in the bottom of the frame. With the bases loaded and one out, Purdy singled in two. Pinch hitter Casey Lester, the next Spartan to bat, singled to left driving in another run and giving San Jose State a 4-1 lead.
Starter Katelyn Linford worked into the fourth, but after loading the bases with one out she was lifted in favor of Collette Riggs. Riggs came in and slammed the door on Colgate with a pair of strikeouts, one swinging and one looking.
In the bottom of the frame, the Spartans got right back to work with the bats. Alyssa Martinez (3-for-4, 2R, RBI)doubled in one run, Erin Rodriguez (2-for-3, RBI) singled in another and a Purdy sacrifice fly added a third. It was 7-1 after four.
Watt (2-for-3, R, 2RBI) absolutely destroyed a 1-0 pitch in the top of the fifth for her second homer of the year and an 8-1 lead.
SJSU put the Raiders away in the sixth on Purdy's fourth RBI of the game, a double to left field.
Linford (2-5) earned the win, but Riggs was untouchable. She struck out five while tossing 2.2 innings of hitless ball.
San Jose State 9, Colgate 1 (Mar 17, 2016 at San Jose, Calif.) (Game 1)
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Colgate............. 001 000 - 1 3 1 (1-9)
San Jose State...... 013 311 - 9 13 1 (7-15)
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Pitchers: Colgate - Carnase, Megan; Murray, Gillian(3) and Jorth, Baillie.
San Jose State - Linford, Katelyn; RIGGS, Colette(4) and Avila, Alyssa.
Win-LINFORD, Katelyn(2-5) Loss-Carnase, Megan(0-1) T-1:44 A-75
HR SJ - Watt, Casey.
GAME 2
With her performance on game one, Riggs (1-1) earned the start in the second game. She scattered four hits and struck out six while giving up two runs in the 5.0 inning win.
Colgate got to her for both its runs in the second. With two outs and a runner on second, the Raiders got an RBI single and then an RBI double for a 2-0 lead. It would be short lived.
In the bottom of the frame the Spartans exploded for seven runs. Alyssa Avila, with runners on first and second, doubled to left to plate a run. A throwing error in left field allowed a second run to score on the play and Avila (1-for-2, R, RBI) ended up on third. After Watt walked, Abacherli (1-for3, 2R, 4RBI) hammered the first pitch she saw for a three-run bomb to left. As quick as that the Spartans were up 5-2.
Three batters later with a runner on, Anissa Pinedo doubled in a run to make it 6-2. Two batters after Pinedo, Madison Aurin (2-for-3, R, RBI) drove in the final run of the inning.
SJSU tacked on three more in the third. With Watt on third, Abacherli hit a grounder up the middle. The Raiders second baseman tried to cut Watt down at the plate, but her throw was off line. Watt scored and Abacherli took second.
Up stepped Hufstetler (1-for2, 2R, 2RBI) and with the count 3-1 she crushed a shot to the opposite field for a two-run bomb and a 10-2 lead, which would be the final score.
San Jose State 10, Colgate 2 (Mar 17, 2016 at San Jose, Calif.) (Game 2)
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Colgate............. 020 00 - 2 4 1 (1-10)
San Jose State...... 073 0X - 10 9 2 (8-15)
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Pitchers: Colgate - Griswold, Kyle; Ieuter, Brigit(2); Carnase, Megan(3) and White, Pami.
San Jose State - Riggs, Colette and Avila, Alyssa.
Win-RIGGS, Colette(1-1) Loss-Griswold, Kyle(0-4) T-1:31 A-75
HR SJ - Abacherli, Brittany; Hufstetler, Jessie.
Griswold faced 5 batters in the 2nd.
Ieuter faced 3 batters in the 3rd.