May 6, 2017
San Jose, Calif. â€" Colette Riggs surrendered one hit, a fourth-inning single, and a unearned run in the sixth inning to lead the San José State softball team to a 2-1 victory over the Utah State Aggies on Saturday afternoon.
Riggs, who established a personal high with her 10th victory of the season, gave up two walks and struck out three in her fifth complete game of the year and fourth straight complete game win. Allowing just one unearned run in the game, she lowered her Mountain West Conference best ERA to 2.07 and is now 10-3 on the season, 5-1 in conference action.
The senior from Yorba Linda, Calif., gave up walks in the second and fifth and a single in the fourth, but none advanced beyond first base. In the sixth she got the first out of the inning, but then hit a batter and after a passed ball, Utah State (32-14, 14-8 MW) got its only runner in the game into scoring position.
A groundout moved the runner to third and she scored when the next batter reached on fielding error by third baseman Emma Entzminger. The unearned run cut the Spartans lead to 2-1.
Although Utah State scored on Entzminger's error, it was she who scored twice earlier in the game to stake San José State (34-15, 14-6 MW) to a 2-0 lead.
To lead off the game, Entzminger walked followed by a Casey Watt (2-for-3) single. Utah State starter April Brown threw an illegal pitch moving both runners into in scoring position. After Cassidy Clark walked the bases were loaded.
Madison Aurin smoked a liner to third base for the first out. Then Brittany Abacherli (0-2, RBI) lifted a ball to deep center. The sacrifice fly scored Entzminger for a 1-0 SJSU lead.
In the third, Entzminger (1-for-2, 2R) singled to open the frame and, as in the first inning, was followed by a Watt single. Clark grounded into a double play which erased Watt, but allowed Entzminger to move up to third. Aurin (1-for-3, RBI, 2B) then ripped a double to the gap in right center scoring Entzminger and doubling the lead to 2-0.
The score remained 2-0 until the Aggies picked their run in the sixth. In the seventh, Riggs disposed of Utah State in order to secure the victory.
The win increases the Spartans lead over second place Utah State to two games in the loss column with four games left in the regular season.
San Jose State has taken the first two games of the three-game series and looks to complete the sweep Sunday. First pitch at Mission College is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
San Jose State 2, Utah State 1 (May 06, 2017 at Santa Clara, Calif.)
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Utah State.......... 000 001 0 - 1 1 0 (32-14, 14-8 MW)
San Jose State...... 101 000 X - 2 8 1 (34-15, 14-6 MW)
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Pitchers: Utah State - BROWN, April and LEWIS, Baile; BUTTACAVOLI,. San Jose State -
Riggs, Colette and Avila, Alyssa.
Win-RIGGS, Colette(10-3) Loss-BROWN, April(13-5) T-1:24 A-227
Game: US-SJ2