SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State softball team had a chance to take the series and lock up a bye in the Mountain West Tournament on Friday with a win over San Jose State. The Aztecs went up 3-0 after three innings and seemed to be in good shape before a solo home run in the fourth and a pair of errors led to two more runs in the fifth inning and the Spartans tied the game. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Shannon Cunningham put the Aztecs back on top for good with a home run to right field as SDSU triumphed by a 4-3 score.
San Diego State (32-16, 15-6) starting pitcher Grace Uribe faced the minimum in the first inning. In the bottom of the frame, Jazmin Williams reached on an error by San Jose State (22-26, 9-12) shortstop Ahmiya Noriega. She stole second and came around to score when Angie Yellen singled back up the middle.
In the second inning, Uribe worked around a single and Cunningham doubled in the bottom of the frame but was unable to move up.
Uribe kept the Spartans off the board in the third, allowing just a walk. The Aztecs added on in the bottom of the inning. Bella Espinoza led off and bunted for a single and advanced on a wild pitch. She scored when Julie Holcomb singled up the middle, but the ball was misplayed by center fielder Aubrie Thomas, allowing Holcomb to move all the way to third base. Williams hit a bloop single down the left field line, scoring Holcomb. Williams moved up on a ground ball but could go no further.
The Spartans got on the board when Thomas hit a solo homer to left center in the fourth inning. It appeared the Aztecs responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame but it was not to be. Cunningham, who entered the day 7-of-7 on stolen base attempts, walked but was thrown out trying to steal second base. Pinch-hitter Gabriella Terrones also walked, extending her on-base streak to four games. Mia Rodriguez, who scored the winning run in Thursday’s game, ran at first for Terrones. Quinn Waiki singled off the second baseman’s glove and was able to advance to second while Rodriguez made it to third. Espinoza seemed to have an RBI single but was ruled to be out of the box before a groundout ended the inning without a run crossing the plate.
Dee Dee Hernandez took over in the circle in the fifth inning. She quickly struck out pinch-hitter Taylor Squires before a bunt single by Jules Ronquillo. A sacrifice bunt moved her into scoring position. The Aztecs made two straight fielding errors, allowing Ronquillo to score and leaving runners on first and second. A walk loaded the bases before a 3-2 pitch to Thomas had Hernandez convinced it was strike three, but home plate umpire Eric Jones ruled it ball four, tying the game at three. Hernandez induced a foul popout to escape without any more damage.
Cece Cellura took over in the sixth inning and allowed a leadoff single. The Spartans made two sacrifice bunts to move the runner to third base with two outs, but Cellura got the next hitter to ground back to the circle to end the frame. With one out in the bottom of the frame, Cunningham launched a solo homer to the bleachers in right field. Uribe followed her with a double, chasing starter Lacie Ham from the game. Waiki singled and stole second, leaving two runners in scoring position with one out before a fielder’s choice got the out at home and allowed the runners to move to second and third again. However, a lineout ended the inning.
In the seventh, Cellura started by getting a groundout. Sarah Deplitch singled through the right side to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but Cellura induced a pair of ground balls to Waiki at shortstop to end the game with a 4-3 Aztec win.
THE NOTE
San Diego State clinched the second seed in the Mountain West Tournament, earning a bye to the second round for the third straight season. The last time the Aztecs were seeded outside the top two spots in the Mountain West Tournament was 2005, when SDSU was the sixth seed.
THE NOTE II
Shannon Cunningham’s home run was her seventh of the season, taking sole possession of the team lead. The last four times that Cunningham homered, the Aztecs went on to win the game.
UP NEXT
SDSU will conclude this series and the regular season on Saturday with a game at noon against the Spartans back at SDSU Softball Stadium. The team will honor its six seniors following the game, which will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
San Diego State 4, San Jose State 3
San Jose State (22-26, 9-12) 000 120 0 – 3 6 2
San Diego State (32-16, 15-6) 102 001 X – 4 9 2
W – Cellura, 14-7; L – Ham, 7-7
HR: Thomas, SJSU (6); Cunningham, SDSU (7)