April 1, 2017
San Diego, Calif. - The San José State softball team came back from a 1-0 deficit, took a 3-1 lead, but surrendered four runs in the sixth inning and lost 5-3 to the San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday night.
San Diego State (19-14, 3-5 MW) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Molly Sturdivant single up the middle. It was the only run starter Colette Riggs would give up among seven hits in three and a third innings of work. The score remained 1-0 until the Spartans half of the fourth.
With one out, Cassidy Clark (1-for-3) singled up the middle and Alexandra Luna, the next batter, was hit on the first pitch she saw. They were lifted for pinch runners Makayla Englestad and Mackenzie Drake.
Kristen Heffley then hit a comebacker to the pitcher who, in trying to get the speedy Englestad at third, had to hurry her throw and rifled it to the third baseman's feet. The ball got away and Englestad scampered home to tie the game. It was her 13th run of the season and on the error, Drake advanced to third.
A Chelsea Jenner (2-for-2, RBI) sacrifice fly plated Drake and gave the Spartans a 2-1 advantage. Emma Entzminger (1-for-2, RBI) followed Jenner with a double into the gap in left center. The hit scored Kaelin Amrein from second. Earlier in the inning, Amrein had come into the game as a pinch runner for Heffley and with her run the Spartans led 3-1 after three and a half.
In the bottom of the fourth, SDSU was threatening. Riggs gave up back-to-back one out singles, which spelled the end of her day. Katelyn Linford came on to try to get SJSU out of the jam. On her first pitch, the Aztecs' batter tried to lay down a bunt. The ball was popped just over her shoulder, which started an inning ending double play. Catcher Alexander Luna dove and grabbed the ball for the first out and then fired a shot to second to double off the runner and end the inning.
Linford cruised through the fifth, but in the sixth the wheels came off. Sydnee Cable and Shelby Thompson led off with back-to-back solo homers to tie the game 3-3. The Aztecs then got four straight singles, the last by Katie Byrd which drove in two runs to make it 5-3.
Trailing by two heading into the seventh, Jenner opened the frame with a single up the middle and two batters later Casey Watt singled two put two runners on with two outs. Madison Aurin had what ended up being the last chance for the Spartans lining a shot to center that was grabbed for the final out.
Linford (15-4) took the loss working 2.2 innings and surrendering four runs on six hits. SDSU's Alex Formby (5-3) pitched 3.1 innings of two-hit relief to earn the win.
The Spartans and Aztecs wrap up the series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
San Diego State 5, San Jose State 3 (Apr 1, 2017 at San Diego, Calif.)
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San Jose State...... 000 300 0 - 3 6 0 (23-11, 3-2 MW)
San Diego State..... 100 004 X - 5 13 1 (19-14, 3-5 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Riggs, Colette; LINFORD, Katelyn(4) and Luna, Alexandra.
San Diego State - ROMERO; FORMBY(4) and PERES.
Win-FORMBY(5-3) Loss-LINFORD, Katelyn(15-4) T-1:52 A-499
HR SDSU - CABLE (3); THOMPSON, S. (3).
Weather: 70 degrees, sunny
Game: SJ-SD2