San Jose, Calif. – In a pair of run-rule games the San José State softball team split the final two games of the Silicon Valley Classic II with an 8-0, five inning win over Weber State, but lost to CSUN 12-1 in five innings.
San José State 8, Weber State 0 (5 innings)
Jenessa Ullegue pitched a complete game shutout and the Spartans put up a pair of four-run innings to defeat Weber State 8-0.
Ullegue (5-2) scattered five hits and struck out four to earn the win, but also contributed with her bat going 3-for-3 and scoring twice.
After being set down in order in the bottom of the first, SJSU (11-9) exploded for four runs in the second.
Madison Aurin (3-for-3, R, RBI) led off with a single and two batters later Ullegue singled to put two runners on. Both Aurin and Ullegue moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and Alyssa Graham (2-for-3, R, 2RBI) then singled to score Aurin.
Kristen Heffley (1-for-2, R, RBI, 2B) doubled to the gap in left center to plate Ullegue while Graham advanced to third. Aylssa Avila (3-for-3, 3RBI, 2B) followed Heffely and doubled in both base runners to make it 4-0.
It remained 4-0 until the bottom of the fifth.
Arianna Miranda (1-for-3) led the inning off with a single and was lifted for pinch runner Taylor Tiger. Cassidy Clark (1-for-3, R, RBI, 2B) then doubled to right center scoring Tiger for a 5-0 lead. Aurin followed Clark with an RBI single to make it 6-0.
Carley Morfey came in to run for Aurin, and after a fielding error at shortstop and a Ullegue single, the bases were loaded with no outs.
Graham singled to score Morfey and two batters later Avila singled in her third run of the game to make it 8-0 and end the game by run-rule.
CSUN 12, San José State 1 (5 innings)
Over the course of two days, Saturday and Sunday, the CSUN Matadors score 12 runs in the first three innings and never looked back in a 12-1 victory over the Spartans.
San José State used three pitchers with starter Caroline Bowman (4-3) giving up six runs on five hits and a pair of walks in 1.1 innings of work.
In the first, CSUN got on the scoreboard with a two-run homer. Then in the second, it got an RBI double and scored two more on a wild pitch and then an error.
Then the skies opened up and the game was halted with a runner on second and the Spartans down 5-0.
The teams resumed the game on Sunday with the runner on second and Taylor DeTinne in the circle for the Spartans. CSUN scored its final run of the second inning on a fielding error by shortstop Mackenzie Drake to make it 6-0.
In the third the avalanche continued.
CSUN had the bases loaded with one out. They then got back-to-back RBI singles followed by a bases clearing three-RBI double. After a walk, DeTinne was lifted for Chrys Hildebrand. Hildebrand had a batter reach on a fielder's choice before getting a strikeout to end the inning. When the dust had settled the Spartans were down 12-0.
In total, Hildebrand tossed 2.2 innings of no-hit relief with four strikeouts to keep it 12-0, but the damage was done.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans finally scratched out a run to avoid the shutout.
SJSU got back-to-back walks to lead off the fifth and two batters later a Taylor Tiger single loaded the bases. Jacey Phipps was then hit by a pitch to push San Jose State's lone run across and make it 12-1, which would be the final score.
The Spartans were limited to two hits: an Alyssa Graham double and Tiger's fifth inning single.