SDSU SOFTBALL EDGED BY FRESNO STATE 7-6

Aztecs record 14 hits in 7-6 loss to Bulldogs

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo:  Shelby Thompson tied a career high with three hits.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

March 18, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego State dropped a 7-6 decision to Fresno State Saturday at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (16-11, 0-2 MW) and Bulldogs (19-9, 2-0 MW) combined for 29 hits in the game, which featured three lead changes.

Coupled with a 10-7 win on Friday night, FS claimed the series with the final game set for noon PT Sunday.

SDSU took the lead in the bottom of the third inning when Katie Byrd (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS) was hit by a pitch and scored on a double by Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.).

Fresno State tied it in the top of the fourth as a Kiera Willis double plated Lindsey Willmon.

The Bulldogs took their first lead of the game in the fifth on a two-run single by Morgan Howe.

Down, 3-1, San Diego State took back the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Byrd led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) drew a walk, she successfully got caught in a rundown between first and second base, which allowed Byrd to race home with the Aztecs’ first run of the inning. With two outs, Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) doubled to left-center field and was replaced by pinch runner Aris Metcalfe (Compton, Calif.). Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) followed with a single to move Metcalfe to third. Megan Smith pinch ran for Stewart and Shelby Thompson (Benicia, Calif.) scored both Metcalfe and Smith with a triple over the head of FS center fielder Vanessa Hernandez to make it 4-3 SDSU.

Fresno State, however, scored the next four runs of the game with two runs in the sixth on a triple and a single, and two more in the seventh on a bases loaded walk and bases loaded hit by pitch.

Down by a 7-4 score, San Diego State tried to come back in the bottom of the seventh. Peres had a leadoff triple down the right-field line and scored on a sacrifice fly by Sturdivant. The Aztecs then loaded the bases on singles by Cable, Thompson and Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif.). With two outs after Stewart struck out swinging before Thompson’s single, Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) reached on an infield single, which allowed pinch runner Kristen Parker (Mira Mesa, Calif./Mira Mesa HS) to score. It appeared that SDSU was going to take a walk-off victory as Kiera Wright (Riverside, Calif.) lined a hard-hit ball deep to center field. Hernandez, who earlier had allowed Thompson to triple over her head, was able to track it down and make a leaping grab to secure the series for the Bulldogs.

Thompson had three hits, coming a home run shy of the cycle, with two RBIs for San Diego State. Cable and Peres each had two hits and a walk, while Ignacio and Stewart added two hits apiece.

Marissa Moreno (Torrance, Calif.) took the loss after allowing seven runs on 15 hits over six innings. She struck out one. Julie McDonald (Carlsbad, Calif.) hit a batter and yielded a walk, while striking out one in the seventh.

Notes:

• Nine of the Aztecs’ 11 losses this year have come against teams that made the 2016 NCAA tournament (SDSU is 7-9 in those games)
• San Diego State dropped to 8-3 on the season in days with only one game
• The Aztecs fell to 17-4 this year when leading at any point in a game
• SDSU dropped to 4-4 in one-run games on the season
• San Diego State also fell to 11-4 on the year when scoring first
• The Aztecs dropped to 11-3 when recording at least 10 hits in a game
• SS Shelby Thompson tied a career high with three hits (also last Saturday vs. Longwood)
• Thompson recorded her fifth multi-hit game of the season and second multi-RBI game
• Catcher Jenavee Peres had her team-leading 11^th multi-hit game of the year
• First baseman Sydnee Cable had her eighth multi-hit game of the season (tied for second most on the team)
• Designated player Taylor Stewart came up with her seventh multi-hit game on the year
• Right fielder Jaylene Ignacio registered her seventh multi-hit game of 2017
• Second baseman and West Hills High grad Katie Byrd had her sixth multi-run game of the season, tied for the most on the team (Jenavee Peres)
• Center fielder Kiera Wright and Thompson are the only two Aztec players to start all 27 games this year (both have started all the games at center field and shortstop, respectively).

Fresno State 7, San Diego State 6

Fresno State (19-9, 2-0 MW)                    000 122 2 -- 7 15 0

San Diego State (16-11, 0-2 MW)             001 030 2 -- 6 14 0

McHellon, Dung (5) and Willmon; Moreno, McDonald (7) and Peres

W - Dung, 13-5; L - Moreno, 6-4

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