Feb. 10, 2017
Tempe, Ariz. - The San José State softball team lost a pair of games to two Pac-12 teams on Friday morning on day two of the Kajikawa Classic. They saw firsthand why the #9/9 Oregon Ducks are ranked that high in an 8-0 defeat, but came back in their second game and battled the Utah Utes to an 8-5 decision.
"We played two teams with very mature and seasoned lineups, and in each game we started one senior, so we are in a learning curve right now," said Head Coach Peter Turner. "We made a couple of mistakes in the Oregon game which ended it in the sixth, but I think we played much better against another Pac-12 team (Utah) later in the day and that's something we are going to build on. Games like today prepare us for later in the season. At times, like right now, it's going to be rough and tough and at other times it is going to be better. We have to take the bad with the good in order to get where we want to be at the end of the year.
#9/9 Oregon 8, San Jose State 0 (6 innings)
In the first game of the day, Oregon limited the Spartans to three hits and used two big innings to earn an 8-0 six-innings victory on Friday.
San José State (1-2) was able to put just five base runners on in the game. Madison Aurin and Chelsea Jenner were walked in the first and third innings, respectively. Janessa Lozano got a leadoff single in the fifth and Jenner did the same in the sixth. Aurin singled later in the sixth and her hit moved a runner to second, but an Alexandra Luna strikeout ended the threat.
Miranda Elish (1-0) pitched the entire game for the Ducks, earning the shutout while collecting three strikeouts.
Oregon scored five runs in the third and three more in the sixth all which were credited to Spartans starter Kacie Gresenz (0-1). Gresenz went 5.1 innings giving up 10 hits, six walks and eight earned runs, while striking out two. Colette Riggs came on in relief of Gresenz in the sixth and surrendered a walk and two hits, which drove in inherited runners.
In the third, Oregon (3-0) opened with a walk, a single, an RBI double and three-run homer to lead 4-0. The Ducks then loaded the bases and scored on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead.
In the sixth, they scored on a one-out RBI double and then a pair of RBI singles for the 8-0 final score.
Oregon 8, San Jose State 0 (02/10/2017 at Tempe, Ariz.)
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San Jose State...... 000 000 - 0 3 0 (1-2)
Oregon.............. 005 003 - 8 12 0 (3-0)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Gresenz, Kacie; RIGGS, Colette(6) and Luna, Alexandra. Oregon -
Elish, M. and Svekis, G.; Utecht, A.; /.
Win-Elish, M.(1-0) Loss-GRESENZ, Kacie(0-1) T-1:57 A-227
HR ORE - Bishop, M..
Weather: Sunny
Game: SJ-ORE
Utah 8, San Jose State 5
In the second game of the day, the Spartans offense came alive with 11 hits and five runs, but couldn't over come Utah and lost 8-5.
In the top of a scoreless second, Utah got four hits and scored four runs. The first two runs came on sacrifice flies, but the big hit was an RBI double, which drove in the third and fourth runs of the inning.
The Spartans (1-3) responded in the bottom of the frame with two runs of their own. Leadoff hitter Casey Watt (3-of-4, 2R, BB) got on by a fielding error moved to second on the play. Cassidy Clark walked followed by an Emma Entzminger bunt single, which loaded the bases. The next batter, Alyssa Avila (1-of-3, 2RBI), drove in two runs on a single to center. SJSU was poised to score again, but a double play and strikeout ended the inning with the score 4-2.
Utah (2-0) got runs back in the third on an RBI single and groundout to make it 6-2. In the bottom of the inning, Clark (1-of-3, R, 2RBI) ripped a shot to left center scoring Watt and Kaelin Amrein. Watt had singled earlier in the inning and Amrein had come in to run for Janessa Lozano who had also singled. After three it was 6-4 Utah.
In the top of the fourth, Katelyn Linford replaced Spartans' starter Emily Rogers (0-1), who pitched three innings and allowed six runs on six hits. The Utes tacked on a run in the fourth off a one-out sacrifice fly to center to make the score 7-4. In the sixth they added another run to make it 8-4.
San José State got its last run in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and Mackanzie Drake on first, Kristen Heffley (3-of-3, RBI BB) doubled into the gap in left center. Drake came all the way around to score to make it 8-5, the final margin.
Utah 8, San Jose State 5 (Feb 10, 2017 at Tempe, Ariz.)
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Utah................ 042 101 0 - 8 13 2 (2-0)
San Jose State...... 022 001 0 - 5 11 0 (1-3)
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Pitchers: Utah - Viramontes; Donovan(6) and Martinez. San Jose State - Rogers, Emily;
LINFORD, Katelyn(4) and Avila, Alyssa.
Win-Viramontes(1-0) Save-Donovan(1) Loss-ROGERS, Emily(0-1) T-2:27 A-125
Game: UTAH-SJ
San José State wraps up its Kajikawa Classic action on Saturday with games against Virginia at 9:30 a.m. (MT) and UC Riverside at 12:15 p.m. (MT).