Fullerton, Calif.—Lightning can strike twice. Just ask the San Jose State softball team that lost the first two games of the 2020 season by identical 4-3 scores in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday at the Titan Classic hosted by Cal State Fullerton.
The Spartans started the season against Loyola Marymount and had 3-0 lead after 2 ½ innings, but the Lions scored four runs including the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The first runs of the 2020 season were scored in the top of the first inning. After Rayohna Sagapolu (single), Makayla Englestad (single) and Cassidy Clark (walk) loaded the bases to start the game, Suzy Brookshire reached on a fielder's choice that got Sagapolu out at home. Alyssa Graham then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Englestad. After Janessa Lozano walked to once again load the bases, Jocylyn Vidal took one for the team as she got hit to drive in Clark. Grace Garvey grounded out to end the Spartan threat and leave the bases loaded.
The other Spartan run was scored in the top of the third inning as Vidal hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Suzy Brookshire. But the Spartans left two runners on base to end the inning.
LMU scored a run in the bottom of the third inning, and then scored two in the bottom of the seventh including the winning run on a sacrifice fly.
Three Spartan pitchers saw action against the Lions, Caroline Bowman pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing five hits, two runs, one earned, and struck out three. Jenessa Ullegue pitched the next two innings, giving up two hits, two earned runs, a walk and a strikeout. Shannon Haddad pitched the final third of an inning, facing the final two batters.
Against host Cal State Fullerton in the nightcap, the Spartans took the early 1-0 lead, fell behind 3-1, fought back and tied the score at 3-3 but fell 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning. The team scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning as Sagapolu scored on a Cassidy Clark double to left field. However, the Titans responded in the bottom of the inning with three runs on three hits.
The score remained 3-1, as the Spartans left the bases loaded in the top of the fourth, until the top of the sixth inning when San Jose State tied the game at 3-3 as Vicky Gutierrez home to left field to score herself and Lozano.
The Spartans had a chance in the seventh inning. With two outs, Gwen Mikkelsen and Lozano drew back-to-back walks to put runners on first and second. But Gutierrez fouled out to the catcher to end the threat, and the CSF hitter took the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the inning over the left field fence for the Titan win.
Haddad pitched a complete game against the Titans as she gave up nine hits and four earned runs. She struck out six and walked four in her first collegiate complete game.
San Jose State continues at the Titan Classic on Saturday with games against UC Riverside at 10:30 a.m., and Middle Tennessee at 1 p.m.
Loyola Marymount 4, San Jose State 3 (Feb 07, 2020 at Fullerton, CA)
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San Jose State...... 201 000 0 - 3 6 1 (0-1)
Loyola Marymount.... 001 100 2 - 4 7 3 (1-0)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - BOWMAN, Caroline; ULLEGUE, Jenessa(5); HADDAD, Shannon(7) and
GARVEY, Grace. Loyola Marymount - Eckroth, Mallory; Steenbergen,Brittany(4); Wilson, Linnay(6)
and Grumbo, Molly.
Win-Wilson, Linnay(1-0) Loss-ULLEGUE, Jenessa(0-1) T-2:08 A-555
Cal State Fullerton 4, San Jose State 3 (Feb 07, 2020 at Fullerton, Calif.)
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San Jose State...... 100 002 0 - 3 6 1 (0-2)
Cal State Fullerton. 300 000 1 - 4 9 1 (2-0)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - HADDAD, Shannon and GARVEY, Grace; MACHADO, Ashley.
Cal State Fullerton - Parks, Trish; Martinez, Dani(4) and Valenzuela, Julia.
Win-Martinez, Dani(2-0) Loss-HADDAD, Shannon(0-2) T-2:35 A-555
HR SJ - GUTIERREZ, Vicky (1). HR CSF - Whitmore, Kelsie (2).
Parks faced 3 batters in the 4th.
HADDAD faced 1 batter in the 7th.
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