Feb. 20, 2017
Las Vegas, Nev. - After Saturday's games were cancelled due to rain, the San José State softball team played its scheduled matchup against UTEP and added a game against Weber State on Sunday at the DiMarini Classic. The Spartans split the day defeating UTEP in the morning, but dropping the afternoon game against Weber State.
"We didn't hit the ball well at all today," said Head Coach Peter Turner Sunday evening, "and part of that is just because we are a young team and were learning as we go. I continue to be very happy with the way we are playing defense and when we get everyone on the same page, in all three phases, look out."
SAN JOSÉ STATE 4, UTEP 1
Colette Riggs (1-1) earned her first win of the year tossing 4.2 innings and giving up a run on five hits as the Spartans started Sunday morning with a 4-1 victory over the UTEP Miners.
After putting two runners on in the first with no outs, but not getting any runs, the Spartans (5-4) scored three times in the bottom of the second. Cassidy Clark led off with a walk and a pitch hit Emma Entzminger to put SJSU in business. After a ground out advanced both runners, Mackenzie Drake roped a double into the left center gap to give San Jose State a 2-0 lead. Casey Watt reach base on a fielding error by the UTEP third baseman, which allowed Drake to score an unearned run and SJSU was up 3-0.
UTEP (0-8) had their best chance to put up a crooked number in the top of the third. The Miners opened the frame with three consecutive singles to load the bases, but in its next three at bats was unable to get the ball out of the infield. Riggs, who struck out three on the day without walking a batter, induced a pair of pop ups and a groundout to end the threat.
Riggs' only mistake came in the UTEP fourth, when she surrendered a leadoff solo home run cutting the Spartans advantage to 3-1. After getting the first two outs in the fifth, Katelyn Linford was brought in from the bullpen. Linford finished the game giving up two hits and striking out four, earning her first save of the season.
In the sixth, the Spartans go the run back. With two outs and Casey Watt on first after a walk, Madison Aurin singled to center. The Miners' centerfielder committed an error that allowed Aurin to move up to second and Watt to come all the way around and score an unearned run making it 4-1, which would be the final.
San Jose State 4, UTEP 1 (Feb 19, 2017 at Las Vegas, Nev.)
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UTEP................ 000 100 0 - 1 7 3 (0-8)
San Jose State...... 030 001 X - 4 3 0 (5-4)
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Pitchers: UTEP - Johnson, A; Grohmann, T(1); Fifield, K(5) and Cross, M. San Jose State -
Riggs, Colette; LINFORD, Katelyn(5) and Avila, Alyssa.
Win-RIGGS, Colette(1-1) Save-LINFORD, Katelyn(1) Loss-Grohmann, T(0-1) T-1:40 A-41
HR UTEP - Smith, C.
Weather: 55 degrees, breezy
Johnson, A faced 2 batters in the 1st.
Game: UTEP-SJ
WEBER STATE 4, SAN JOSÉ STATE 1
The Spartans jumped on Weber State starter Tatiana Su'esu'e with three hits and a run in the first.
After Kristen Heffley flied out to open the game, Brittany Abacherli and Madison Aurin got back-to-back singles. Two batters later, Janessa Lozano singled in Abacherli for a 1-0 lead. On the play, Aurin tried to take an extra base but was cut down on at third, ending the inning and effectively ending the San José State offense. SJSU (5-5) would earn two walks and be held hitless over the next five innings.
Spartans' starter Katelyn Linford (3-1) cruised into the fourth inning giving up just one hit to that point. In the Weber State (1-7-1) fourth, the Wildcats got a two-out double and a batter later tied the game 1-1 with an RBI single.
SJSU used three pitchers in the fifth, but allowed three runs to score. After getting the first batter of the inning, Linford issued a walk and back-to-back singles to load the bases. Emily Rogers was brought in to relieve Linford, but hit the first batter and walked the next making the score 3-1 in favor of the Wildcats. A fielder's choice led to an out at home, but Rogers walked the next batter forcing in the third run of the inning.
Kacie Gresenz was brought in for Roger and struck out the first batter she faced to end the fifth, but the damage was done.
SJSU would get two hits in the seventh, but could not do anything with them and lost 4-1.
Weber State 4, San Jose State 1 (Feb 19, 2017 at Henderson, NV)
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San Jose State...... 100 000 0 - 1 5 0 (5-5)
Weber State......... 000 130 X - 4 6 0 (1-7-1)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Linford, Katelyn; ROGERS, Emily(5); GRESENZ, Kacie(5) and
Luna, Alexandra. Weber State - Su'esu'e, T. and Horne, M..
Win-Su'esu'e, T. Loss-LINFORD, Katelyn(3-1) T- A-0
Game: SJ-WSU