San Jose, Calif. – Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the San José State softball team rallied for three runs and defeated the Bucknell Bison 4-2 on Tuesday night.
With two outs in the sixth, Cassidy Clark on third and Rayohna Sagapolu (1-for-3, R) on first, Jenessa Ullegue (1-for-2, R, RBI, BB) dropped a single into left field that scored Clark to tie the game. But on the play a fielding error in left allowed Sagapolu to come all the way around and score the go ahead run. Alyssa Graham (2-for-3, RBI) then singled to third base which plated Ullegue to make the score 4-2, which would end up being the final margin of victory for SJSU.
In the circle for San José State (12-9), Caroline Bowman tossed the compete-game win to improve her record to 5-3 on the season. She scattered five hits and gave up two runs with three walks and three strikeouts. It's Bowman's second complete game in eight starts this season.
The Spartans opened the scoring in the bottom of the second.
Madison Aurin (1-for-3, R, 2B) led off with a double to the gap in left center. Two batters later Ullegue walked and after a single up the middle the bases were loaded with one out. Kristen Heffley (0-for-1, RBI, 2BB) then walked to drive in Aurin and the Spartans had the makings of a big inning, but a ground-ball double play ended the threat with SJSU up 1-0.
Bucknell (7-11) scored its runs in the top of the fifth. The Bison loaded the bases with one out on a pair of singles and a fielding error by shortstop Sagapolu. Bucknell then got back-to-back RBI singles to plate its two runs and took a 2-1 lead, which it held until the bottom of the sixth.
In the seventh, up 4-2, Bowman set the Bison down in order to secure the Spartans' victory.
SJSU hosts the Spartans Invitational this weekend. The first game of the tournament is Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. against UMass-Lowell.
