March 29, 2016
GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
San Jose, Calif. - It took the San José State softball team six extra days to get Mountain West play underway, but when the Spartans finally took the field they hammered the UNLV Rebels twice, 11-3 and 9-1, on Tuesday afternoon. Both games ended in five innings.
SJSU was slated to open conference play last Thursday at Colorado State, but a blizzard closed the Denver Airport, postponed the series. San Jose State had to wait until Tuesday's doubleheader before it could get league play under way.
In the two games, the Spartans (13-17, 2-0 MW) pounded out 23 hits, scored 20 runs and struck out just once, en route to its run-rule victories. Since joining the Mountain West in 2014, SJSU has won its first two league games by run-rule in five of six times and has won each of its three league opening series.
UNLV (18-16, 2-3 MW) entered the game as the Mountain West's highest scoring team, 5.46 runs per game, and one of the top-hitting clubs, with a .314 batting average. Against Spartans' pitching the Rebels managed just four runs in 10 innings and went 7-for-42 at the plate, a .167 average.
San José State got multi-hits efforts from seven players led by seniors Jessica Madrid and Jessie Hufstetler. Madrid was 5-for-6, scored four times and drove in two. Hufstetler came into the game batting .257, but went 3-for-5, including two doubles, scored pair of runs and had four RBI.
San Jose State 11, UNLV 3 (5 innings)
Katelyn Linford (3-6) pitched 3.2 innings, allowing three run on three hits to earn her third win of the season. She held the Rebels without a hit in the first three innings.
While Linford was holding the UNLV offense in check, the SJSU bats were doing damage. In the bottom of the first, Anissa Pinedo doubled in two runs on a shot to right center.
In the second the Spartans added three more. With one out and two on, Alyssa Martinez singled up the middle to plate the first run of the frame. Madrid then singled in a run and Hufstetler hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 after two.
UNLV got all its hits, three, and all its runs in the top of the fourth. With two runs in, the bases loaded and one out, Linford was lifted in favor of Emily Rogers. An error at shortstop, on a fielder's choice, allowed a run to score and the inning to continue, but Rogers got a strikeout on an eight pitch at bat to end the threat. SJSU led 5-3.
The Spartans got the three runs back and more in the bottom of the frame. With the bases loaded, Pinedo hit into a fielder's choice. An error allowed a run to score. Taylor Purdy then singled in a run and Emma Entzminger capped the inning with a two-run single to right to take a 9-3 lead.
Rogers set the Rebels down in order in the fifth, which set the stage for SJSU to end the game.
With the count 3-0, leadoff hitter Chelsea Jenner ripped a shot down the right field line. The UNLV right fielder dove to make the catch, but the ball skipped under her glove and rolled all the way to the fence. Jenner flew around the bases, and for the second time in three games, had a home run. This time it was an inside the park job and it gave SJSU a 10-3 lead.
Four batters later with the bases loaded, Hufstetler drew a walk to end the game 11-3.
Rogers pitched 1.1 innings of relief, allowed no hits and picked up the save, her first of the year.
San Jose State 11, UNLV 3 (Mar 29, 2016 at San Jose, Calif.) (Game 1)
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UNLV................ 000 30 - 3 3 4 (18-15, 2-2)
San Jose State...... 230 42 - 11 12 2 (12-17, 1-0)
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Pitchers: UNLV - COOPER, Kwyn; PETMECKY, Janine(2); ETTINGER, Morgan(5) and HASLINGER, Emily;STOVER, Brooke. San Jose State - Linford, Katelyn; ROGERS, Emily(4) and Avila, Alyssa.
Win-LINFORD, Katelyn(3-6) Save-ROGERS, Emily(1) Loss-COOPER, Kwyn(7-7) T-1:49 pm A-75
HR SJ - Jenner, Chelsea.
ETTINGER, M. faced 5 batters in the 5th.
San Jose State 9, UNLV 1 (5 innings)
Colette Riggs tossed 4.2 innings of four hits ball and improved her season record to 3-2.
As in game one, the SJSU bats were hot. San Jose State scored nine times on 11 hits and got it started in the second inning.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Brittany Abacherli tripled into the gap in right center scoring two and staking the Spartans to a 2-0 lead.
With the bases loaded in the third, Taylor Purdy hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
SJSU then scored four in the fourth for a 7-0 lead. Abacherli and Jessica Madrid each drove in runs on singles and Jessie Hufstetler doubled in two more.
UNLV got its lone run in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Emily Rogers made her second relief appearance of the day. She retired the second batter she faced and the game went to the bottom of the fifth with SJSU up 7-1.
The first three batters reached base with the third being an RBI single from Abacherli. Casey Watt then singled up the middle to score the game-ending run in the team's 9-1 win.
San Jose State 9, UNLV 1 (Mar 29, 2016 at San Jose, Calif.) (Game 2)
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UNLV................ 000 01 - 1 4 4 (18-16, 2-3)
San Jose State...... 021 42 - 9 11 3 (13-17, 2-0)
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Pitchers: UNLV - BATASTINI, Alyssa; COOPER, Kwyn(3); ETTINGER, Morgan(5) and OMALZA, Chrissi.
San Jose State - Riggs, Colette; ROGERS, Emily(5) and Avila, Alyssa.
Win-RIGGS, Colette(3-2) Loss-BATASTINI, Alyssa(5-5) T-1:28 A-75
BATASTINI, A faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
ETTINGER, M. faced 4 batters in the 5th.
The Spartans are now 4-0 on SJSU Field this year and since its 7-3 win over Northwestern (3/5), to close play in the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, SJSU is 8-2 and has recorded four run-rule wins.
The series wraps up on Wednesday with a single game at 12:00 p.m.