May 10, 2001
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - San Diego State right-hander Sandra Durazo pitched her second one-hitter of the day as the third-seeded Aztecs remained undefeated in the 2001 Mountain West Conference Championship with a 9-1 victory over second-seeded Utah on Thursday afternoon.
With the win, the Aztecs remain one of two undefeated teams in the tournament and are one win away from playing for the league championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. The Aztecs also won for the 37th time this season, tying a school-record set back in 1985.
"It would not be overstated to call this one of the best days in San Diego State softball history," head coach Kathy Van Wyk said. "And it is probably the greatest day in Sandra Durazo's career."
Durazo, who carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of the Aztecs 4-0 tournament victory over UNLV, retired 16 batters before issuing a one-out home run in the bottom of the sixth inning after the Aztecs had built a 6-0 lead. That snapped the senior's sting of 29 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.
"My ball is moving more than it has been in a long time," Durazo said. "It is so exciting to be in this position. Last night at the banquet I felt togetherness with this team and it carried over today. It's an awesome feeling."
Durazo, who earned conference pitcher of the year honors last evening at the league banquet, pitched 14 innings on Thursday, allowing one run, two hits and three walks while striking out 13. The right-hander, who won for the 26th time this season breaking her own record set last season, would not have to wait long for offense.
In the top of the second, San Diego State scored twice. Sophomore designated player Kristina Kirk produced an RBI single that scored freshman center fielder Janna Kovensky who had walked. Junior first baseman Summer Ehrsam had an RBI ground out scoring senior first baseman Tashie Aguinaga.
Aguinaga, who was 3-for-3 in the first game of the day, went 2-for-4 with three runs scored against the Utes.
The Aztecs added to the lead in the third frame when junior second baseman Sarah Hershman singled home junior left fielder Kellie Nordhagen and Aguinaga. Hershman went 2-for-3 with a run scored and four RBI in the contest.
San Diego State extended the lead on an RBI triple by Hershman in the fifth inning and a run scoring single by junior right fielder Tiffany Goudy in the sixth inning. The Aztecs built a 6-0 lead, scoring four runs with two outs.
The Aztecs, winners of seven of their last eight and nine of their last 11, are 37-22 overall and a season-best 15 games above .500. San Diego State will play in the third game tomorrow at 2 p.m. MDT/1 p.m. PDT, after two of the league's six softball playing schools have been eliminated from the double-elimination tournament.
The Aztecs will face the winner of Friday's 9:30 a.m. MDT/8:30 a.m. PDT elimination game between UNLV and the loser of the New Mexico-BYU game. If the Aztecs lose, San Diego State will face the same opponent in an elimination game Saturday morning. If San Diego State wins tomorrow's game, they will advance to the championship game on Saturday.
(3) San Diego State 9, (2) Utah 1
San Diego State 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 - 9 9 1Utah 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 1 3Sandra Durazo and Shauna Fisher. Kristin Arbogast, Heather Bowlin (6th) and Christa Pfeninger. WP Durazo (26-12). LP Arbogast. S none. LOB San Diego State 7, Utah 4. DP none. 2B none. 3B SDSU: Sarah Hershman (4). HR UU: Lyndsey Trevis (12). SB - none. CS none. SH SDSU: Joann Figueroa, Janna Kovesnky, Sarah Hershman, Summer Ehrsam. UU: Amberly Jeppson, Michele Larsen. SF none. T 2:02. A TBA.