SAN JOSE, Calif. - Delaney Faus threw a complete game along with a new career-high in strikeouts to lead the San José State softball team (14-29, 6-14 MW) to an 8-2 victory over New Mexico (22-24, 9-11) Friday night at the Spartan Softball Field.
Starting the game in the circle, Faus held the Lobos scoreless for 5.1 innings. The Lobos only managed to score two runs in the sixth off a single and a sacrifice fly.
Faus recorded a new single-game career high in strikeouts with six. She recorded her sixth strikeout by striking out the first batter in the seventh inning. She then went on to record the final two outs of the game with a groundout and a pop-up to secure the complete game victory.
The Spartans struck first early in the bottom half of the first inning. The bases were loaded after three walks prior to Leata Sherlin lining a single through the left side to score Sophia Burdick from third.
On two outs, Gigi Ortega swung at the first pitch she saw and hit a single to center field to score Ahmiya Noriega and Reina Zermeno.
The first inning was then capped off by Haley Reeve hitting a ball in the infield and scoring Sherlin from third to take an early 4-0 lead.
Reeve then singled in the bottom of the fifth inning to score Sherlin again.
Following the two Lobos runs at the top of the sixth, the Spartans responded in the bottom half with a Zermeno single up the middle to score Noriega from second.
Shay McDowell in a 0-1 count, hit a single into the infield and charging from second was Zermeno, who scored on a ball that never left the infield dirt. Ortega followed it up with a triple to score McDowell from first, securing the ballgame 8-2.
- The Spartans' 13 hits is the fourth most this season
- Faus now has a total of 61 strikeouts on the season
- This is Faus' third complete game this season
- Eight different Spartans collected hits, four collected multiple hits and Ortega collected three
- Five different Spartans collected RBIs, Reeve collecting two and Ortega collecting three
- Ortega's three hits and three RBIs is the first time she's gone 3-for-4 at the plate and collected three RBIs
- Ortega's triple is the first of her career
- Burdick is on a nine-game hitting streak, Ortega is on a seven, Zermeno is on a six; Noriega, McDowell and Sherlin are on a five, Reeve is on a four and Cummings on a three
- Reeve stole her ninth bag of the year, Burdick and Sherlin both stole their fifth
- The last time the Spartans defeated the Lobos at home was on March 17, 2024, in a 9-3 game; their most recent victory was on March 16, 2025, in a 6-4 game on the road
UP NEXT: The Spartans will continue the series against New Mexico on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. from the Spartan Softball Field. The game can be watched on Mountain West Network.
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