San Jose, Calif. – Trailing 1-0 after two and a half innings, the San José State softball team scored five times on its way to a 9-1, run-rule victory over the UMass Lowell River Hawks in the opening game of the 2019 Spartan Invitational.
UMass-Lowell (7-9) got its run in the top of the third on an RBI single off SJSU starter Jenessa Ullegue. The freshman would go on to a six-inning, complete game victory to move to 6-2 on the season. She scattered five hits, struck out six and walked two in the win.
In the bottom of the inning, the Spartans got the run back and four more. Jacey Phipps (2-for-3, R) and Mackenzie Drake (1-for-3, R) led off with back-to-back singles and both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Grace Garvey (2-for-3, 2R, 2RBI, 2B) then ripped a double to left to plate two runs and the Spartans were off.
Garvey moved to third on a groundout and then scored when Arianna Miranda reached base on a fielding error in left. Cassidy Clark (2-for-4, 2R, RBI) singled to move Miranda to second, where she was lifted for pinch runner Taylor Tiger. Madison Aurin (3-for-3, 2B, 3B) singled to load the bases and two batters later Ullegue (1-for-2, 2RBI) singled to center scoring two more runs, both unearned, to put the Spartans up 5-1 after three.
In the fifth, Aurin led off with a triple to right center and Rayohna Sagapolu (1-for-3, 3RBI, 2B, SF) scored her on a sacrifice fly to center to make it 6-1.
In the sixth, the Spartans put the River Hawks away.
Garvey, Makayla Englestad (1-for-2) and Tiger (1-for-2, 2R) all singled to open the inning and load the bases. Clark then singled in the seventh run of the game and two batters later Sagapolu doubled in the eighth and ninth runs of the game to give SJSU a 9-1 six-inning victory.
In total the Spartans got 14 hits, equaling its best hitting effort of the season, and scored a season high nine runs.
The Spartan Invitational continues on Friday with three games. The slate starts at 10:00 a.m. with a neutral site game between UMass Lowell and Iona. The Spartan will then host UMass Lowell at 12:00 p.m. and Iona at 2:00 p.m.
