SDSU SOFTBALL DOWNS NEW MEXICO 4-1 IN SERIES OPENER

Aztecs win third straight game

Courtesy goaztecs.com

Photo:  Jenavee Peres homered and drove in three runs in SDSU's 4-1 win over New Mexico.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

April 13, 2017 (San Diego) - Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) homered and drove in three runs to lead San Diego State to a 4-1 victory over New Mexico in the series opener Thursday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. It was the third consecutive win for the Aztecs (21-14, 5-5 MW).

Peres hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning and added a sacrifice fly in the third to score Kiera Wright (Riverside, Calif.). Katie Byrd (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS) doubled in Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) in the fifth to give SDSU a 4-0 lead.

The Lobos (19-16, 5-5 MW) got going in the top of the sixth as it loaded the bases on a hit batter and two singles off San Diego State starter Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.). Facing UNM’s cleanup hitter Chelsea Johnson, Alex Formby (Orange, Calif.) relieved Romero and allowed Johnson’s sacrifice fly to score a run. The right-hander then got Michala Erickson to line out to Meshack and left field, and struck out Jade Gray on three pitches to get the Aztecs out of the inning.

Formby came out in the seventh and retired New Mexico in order to secure the win for Romero and SDSU.

Romero (6-3), who at one point in the game retired 10 consecutive batters, yielded one run on five hits and a hit batter over five innings, while striking out five. Formby tossed a perfect two innings of relief, striking out two en route to her fourth save of the season.

San Diego State, which came into the week ranked fourth in the nation with a .349 average, kept up its .349 mark with eight hits, led by the top three batters in the order. The trio - Meshack, Byrd and Peres - combined to go 6-for-6 with four RBIs, three runs and two walks. Meshack was 3-for-3 with a run, Byrd was 2-for-2 with an RBI, run and walk, while Peres was 1-for-1 with three RBIs, a run and a walk.

Wright singled and scored for the Aztecs, and Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) doubled for SDSU’s other hit.

San Diego State will look to win the series with the second game slated for 6 p.m. PT Friday.

Notes

• The Aztecs improved to 10-1 when scoring in the first inning, 18-2 when outhitting its opponent, 21-4 when leading at any point in the game, 11-3 when leading after five innings, 13-4 when scoring first, 19-8 when scoring at least four runs and 13-6 in single-game days
• SDSU also improved to 15-5 when homering at least once in a game (6-9 when homerless)
• Meshack tied a career high with three hits
• Meshack reached base safely for the 14^th straight game, the longest streak of her career
• Meshack had her 11^th multi-hit game of the year and second three-hit game
• With enough at-bats to qualify (100), Meshack’s .400 average this year is ranked fifth in San Diego State single-season history 
• Byrd recorded her 12^th multi-hit game of the season, tied for the second most on the team
• Peres had her seventh multi-RBI game of the year
• Peres also had her team-leading 10^th go-ahead RBI, 10^th go-ahead run and 10^th game-winning run
• Peres’ .397 average is ranked sixth in Aztec single-season history, while her .733 slugging percentage is also ranked sixth
• Peres recorded her fourth sacrifice fly of the season (tied for third in SDSU single-season history) and eighth of her career (tied for second)
• Peres moved into 10^th in school history in total bases (246)
• Romero started for the 96^th time of her career, tied with Christina Ross (2006-08) for the second most in program history

San Diego State 4, New Mexico 1

New Mexico (19-16, 5-5 MW)                  000 001 0 -- 1 5 0

San Diego State (21-14, 5-5 MW)             201 010 x -- 4 8 0

McPherson and Johnson; Romero, Formby (5) and Peres

W - Romero, 6-3; L - McPherson, 8-8; SV - Formby, 4

HR: San Diego State, Peres (10)

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