April 8, 2016
Logan, Utah - Colette Riggs earned her fourth straight victory and Jessie Hufstetler blasted two homers in San José State softball's 9-3 victory over the Utah State Aggies on Friday afternoon.
A junior from Yorba Linda, Calif., Riggs (6-2) pitched into the seventh allowing four hits and three runs while striking out two. In her fourth straight start, all wins, she gave up a pair of solo home runs, one to open the second and another to start the seventh, a triple and double. Despite the extra base hits, two walks and a pair of hit batters, Riggs held the Aggies to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
With 13 hits against Utah State starter Noelle Johnson (8-8), the offense continues to roll for SJSU (17-18, 6-1 MW). For the seventh straight game and 16th time this season, the Spartans reached double digit hits. Their record in those games is 13-3 including 6-1 to open Mountain West play.
Brittany Abacherli, Taylor Purdy, Jessica Madrid and Hufstetler each had a multi-hit game.
In the Utah State second, Libby Pederson hit a solo homer to right center to stake the Aggies (16-14, 4-3 MW) to a 1-0 lead.
The Spartans struck right back in the top of the third. Abacherli (2-for-4, R, RBI), who led off the game with a double, got a one-out single and then stole second. Two batters later Madrid (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI) singled in Abacherli to tie the game. Up stepped Hufstetler who absolutely destroyed a 0-1 pitch to dead center making the score 3-1 Spartans on her fourth home run of the year.
The Aggies cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth by manufacturing a run. They got a leadoff walk and steal to put a runner in scoring position. A fly out moved the runner to third and a groundout to the right side of the infield scored the run.
In the top of the seventh, San Jose State blew the game open. Purdy (2-for-3, R) and pinch hitters Kristen Heffley and Anissa Pinedo all singled to open the frame. With the bases loaded Casey Watt (1-for-3, 2 RBI) singled in a pair of runs with a shot through the left side.
Abacherli, the next batter, hit into a fielder's choice to the right side, which allowed pinch runner, Chelsea Jenner, to come all the way around from second to score.
Alyssa Martinez followed Abacherli with a triple over the head of the Aggies leftfielder. Abacherli, running from first, was cut down at the plate on a perfect throw from the USU cutoff man.
Then with two outs, a runner on third and a 7-2 lead, Hufstetler (2-for-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR) lifted what appeared to be a fly ball out down the right field line that would be an out. But the ball just kept going and going and finally came down beyond the fence for her second home run of the game and fourth in the last two games.
With four RBIs today, 25 this year and 165 for her career, Hufstetler sits one RBI from equaling the program's all-time record of 166 set by Brittany McConnell (2006-10). She also had eight total bases in the game and is six from tying Pat Martinez (1993-96) for the San Jose State career total-bases record of 361.
Riggs gave up a solo homer and a double in the bottom of the seventh, which ended her day. Emily Rogers came in with a runner on and no outs. She loaded the bases on a pair of walks, but then got a line drive out to Martinez at short. Martinez flipped the ball to third baseman Emma Entzminger to double off the runner at third. A popup to first by the next batter ended the threat and the game 9-3.
The series continues on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. (MT).
San Jose State 9, Utah State 3 (Apr 08, 2016 at Logan, Utah)
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San Jose State...... 003 000 6 - 9 13 0 (17-18, 6-1 MW)
Utah State.......... 010 010 1 - 3 4 0 (18-14, 4-2 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - RIGGS, Collette; ROGERS, Emily(7) and . Utah State - JOHNSON, Noelle
and .
Win-RIGGS, Collette(4-0) Loss-JOHNSON, Noelle(8-8) T-1:42 A-250
HR SJ - Hufstetler, Jessie 2 (5).
HR US - PEDERSON, Libby (3); SAUCEDO, Victoria (8).
Weather: 70 degrees, partly cloudy