March 30, 2016
San Jose, Calif. - For the third straight game to open the 2016 Mountain West play, the San José State softball team rapped out double-digit hits and in doing so finished off a sweep of the UNLV Rebels with a 6-3 victory.
A pair of triples from senior Jessie Hufstetler (2-for-4, 2R) highlighted the hitting assault. She is the first Spartan to have two triples in a game since Devin Caldwell accomplished the feat in an 8-0 victory over Utah State on March 23, 2013.
The Rebels (18-17, 2-4 MW) took their only lead of the series in the top of the first with a one-out solo home run from Jamie DePippo.
In the second, San Jose State (14-17, 3-0 MW) struck for four runs and established a lead it would not relinquish. With runners on first and second, Alexandra Luna (1-for-3, R, RBI) singled to tie the game. Casey Watt then doubled in the second run of the inning. After Brittany Abacherli was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Alyssa Martinez (1-for-3, 2RBI) drove a 1-0 pitch to deep centerfield. It went over the defenders head, bounced off the wall and plated two runs for a 4-1 SJSU lead.
UNLV cut the SJSU lead to one, 4-3, with a pair of runs in the top of the third. The first scored when Spartans' starter Emily Rogers uncorked a wild pitch with one out and runners on second and third. A single plated the second run. Rogers set the final two batters down and would go on to pitch four complete and earn the win, improving her record to 2-2.
Hufstetler got her first triple with one out in the fourth and was driven in on a sacrifice fly from Madison Aurin (1-for-3, R, RBI). In the sixth, she led off the inning with a triple and two batters later scored on an RBI single from Taylor Purdy (1-for-2, R, RBI).
Colette Riggs pitched the final three innings allowing one hit and was credited with the save. It is her first of the year.
San Jose State 6, UNLV 3 (Mar 30, 2016 at San Jose, Calif.)
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UNLV................ 102 000 0 - 3 4 1 (18-17, 2-4 MW)
San Jose State...... 040 101 X - 6 11 0 (14-17, 3-0 MW)
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Pitchers: UNLV - COOPER, Kwyn; BATASTINI, Alyssa(3); PETMECKY, Janine(3) and STOVER, Brooke.
San Jose State - Rogers, Emily; RIGGS, Colette(5) and Luna, Alexandra.
Win-ROGERS, Emily(2-2) Save-RIGGS, Colette(1) Loss-COOPER, Kwyn(7-8) T-1:54 A-75
HR LV - DEPIPPO, JAMIE.
BATASTINI, A faced 3 batters in the 2nd.
San José State returns to action on Sunday and Monday at Colorado State making up a series, which was postponed due to snow last week. The Spartans and Rams will play two games on Sunday, April 3, and a single game on Monday, April 4. First pitch on Sunday is set for 12:00 p.m. (MT) and Monday's matchup gets underway at 10:00 a.m. (MT).