The Spartans scored four runs as they sent 10 batters to the plate as the San José State softball rallied in the top of the seventh inning to defeat UNLV 6-5 Saturday afternoon to win the Mountain West series.
San José State trailed 5-2 heading into the top of the seventh inning. Alyssa Graham started the inning with a single through the left side. Alyssa Avila then singled to right center to put runners on second an third. Makayla Englestad singled to score Graham to make the score 5-3.
After a Rebel pitching change, Rayohna Sagapolu drew a walk to load the bases. With still no Spartan outs, Kristen Heffley singled to right to score Taylor Tiger, pinch running for Avila, to make the scored 5-4.
Another Rebel pitching changed happened in the inning, and Jacey Phipps pinch hit for Cassidy Clark. Phipps struck out for the first out of the inning.
Madison Aurin then came to the plate, singled down the right field line to score Sagapolu and Englestad and give the Spartans the 6-5 lead. With those two RBI, Aurin now has 192 career RBI.
Aurin not only drove in the winning run, she was the pitcher of record when SJSU took the lead and got the win to improve her record in the circle to 4-2. Jenessa Ullegue pitched the seventh inning for her fourth save of the season.
UNLV threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning. They led off the inning with a double and sacrificed the runner to third. Ullegue then got the final two batters to fly out and ground out for the Spartans' 29th win of the year.
San José State started the game by scoring single runs in the top of the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the first, Sagapolu and Heffley singled, and Sagapolu scored on Ullegie single to center field.
In the second inning, Graham started the inning with a single to left field and moved to second on an Avila sacrifice bunt. Graham scored when Englestad double to left center.
San José State takes the season series from UNLV, 2-1, as SJSU improves to 29-15 overall and 9-6 in the Mountain West. The team hosts Utah State for three game series at Spartan Softball Field.
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