Feb. 28, 2018
Santa Clara, Calif. - In the first meeting since 2015 between schools, which are less than 10 miles away from each other, Madison Aurin tossed a one-hit gem in San José State softball's 9-0 victory over the Santa Clara Broncos.
Aurin (2-6) allowed a third-inning bunt single, struck out five, walked two and didn't allow any balls out of the infield in the six-inning run rule victory. The win ended the team's three-game slide and is the first of six games they are scheduled to play this week in Northern California.
The Spartans (10-7) worked two Santa Clara pitchers for nine runs on nine hits and seven walks.
After a scoreless first, the Spartans got on the board in the second. Georgia Blair (3-for-3, R, 2RBI) walked followed by a Kaelin Amrein double, which put runners on second and third. Two batters later Alyssa Avila (1-for-3, RBI) hit a sacrifice fly to left; Blair scored and SJSU lead 1-0.
San José State tacked on two more runs in the third. Brittany Abacherli was on second after reaching base on an error, when Cassidy Clark (1-for-2, 2R, 2RBI, 3B) tripled to the gap in right center making it 2-0. Two batters later, Blair singled to left. Clark scored and it was 3-0.
In the fourth, SJSU pried the game open with four runs on three hits and three walks. The Spartans opened the frame with a double, a single and a walk to load the bases. Two batters later Clark walked, which drove in the first run. After a pitching change, Aurin walked to plate the second run and Blair followed Aurin with an RBI single scoring the third of the inning. Amrein (1-for-2, R, RBI) lifted a sacrifice fly to right driving in the fourth run, which staked the Spartans to a 7-0 lead.
With two outs in the sixth, Blair picked up her third single of the game and Amrein walked, which brought up Rayohna Sagapolu (1-for-4, RBI). The freshman singled to center, which plated Maricela Matos, who had entered as a pinch runner for Blair. On the play at the plate, an error by the Broncos' catcher allowed Amrein to score an unearned run and make it 9-0.
The Spartans open play in the Louisville Slugger Tournament, in Stockton, Calif., on Friday with games against Providence and Wagner.
San Jose State 9, Santa Clara 0 (Feb 28, 2018 at Santa Clara, Calif.)
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San Jose State...... 012 402 - 9 9 0 (10-7)
Santa Clara......... 000 000 - 0 1 2 (0-10)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Aurin, Madison and Avila, Alyssa. Santa Clara - KIM; SCHIEK(4) and
RUSSELL.
Win-AURIN, Madison(2-6) Loss-KIM(0-4) T-1:34 A-200
Weather: 54 degrees and cloudy
Game: SJ-SCU