Albuquerque, N.M.—For the second consecutive game, the San José State softball scored a season-high in runs, this time 11 Saturday, as the Spartans shut out New Mexico, 11-0 in five innings in a Mountain West game at Lobo Softball Field.
The Spartans had not scored double-digit runs all year until last night when they scored 10 runs. The team scored 10 plus-one on Saturday for a new season high. Rayohna Sagapolu scored three times in the game, while Alyssa Graham scored two runs and six other player touched home plate for SJSU.
See how the Spartans scored all 11 runs Saturday in the win at New Mexico pic.twitter.com/Pt65e962ln
— SJSU Softball (@SanJoseStateSB) May 4, 2019
Senior Madison Aurin made her seventh start and 15th appearance in the circle. She improved her record to 5-2 on the season with her complete-game win. Aurin is now the fourth Spartan pitcher to throw a shutout this season. She allowed three hits and walked one as she faced 18 batters.
Aurin also helped herself at the plate as she went 1-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Her only hit was a double in the top of the fifth to drive in two Spartan runs.
Four Spartans recorded two hits in the game – Sagapolu, Kristen Heffley, Arianna Miranda and Kaelin Amrein. Aurin drove in three runs, while Heffley, Miranda and Graham each had two RBI.
The Spartans scored in four of the five innings, excluding the fourth inning. In the first inning, Heffley doubled in Sagapolu, who started the game with a walk, and Heffley scored on a Miranda single to center field.
Two more runs were scored by SJSU in the second inning. Graham started the inning by drawing a walk and eventually scored on a Sagapolu single to right field. Alyssa Avila, who had reached on a muffed throw, scored on a Heffley double to center.
The long ball was popular in the third. Miranda started the inning by hitting the first pitch she saw to left field for her fourth home run of the year. After Amrein walked, Graham joined the extra-base attack as she hit her fourth home run of the season to left field as well.
After a Lobo pitching change, Sagapolu singled to left center and advanced to second and third on wild pitches. After Heffley grounded out, Aurin came to bat and hit a fielder's choice to third. Instead of throwing to first for the final out the inning, the Lobo third baseman threw home to try to get Sagapolu. But she had another idea and went around the tag and came back to touch home plate for fourth run of the inning and eighth of the game.
The Spartans scored three more runs in the top of the fifth inning. After Sagapolu and Makayla Englestad started the inning with walks, they both scored off of Aurin's double to left center. Aurin eventually scored as pinch hitter Taylor Tiger singled through the left side for her first RBI of the season.
San José State improves to 34-15 on the season and 14-6 in conference play. The two teams play the final game of the series Sunday at 11 a.m. MT/10 a.m. PT.
San Jose State 11, New Mexico 0 (May 04, 2019 at Albuquerque, N.M.)
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San Jose State...... 224 03 - 11 11 1 (34-15, 14-6 MW)
New Mexico.......... 000 00 - 0 3 1 (12-37, 3-17 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - AURIN, Madison and AVILA, Alyssa. New Mexico - SPENCER, Kiana; KLITZKE, Bailey(3) and BRODERICK, Sydney. Win-AURIN, Madison(5-2) Loss-SPENCER, Kiana (6-16) T-1:36 A-468 HR SJ - MIRANDA, Arianna (4); GRAHAM, Alyssa (4).
SPENCER faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
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