Feb. 23, 2003
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - For the second consecutive game, the San Diego State softball team fought through extra-inning play at the UC Santa Barbara Softball by the Beach Tournament at Elings Park. This time, however, the Aztecs came away with a victory, defeating Kansas, 2-1, in 10 innings Sunday afternoon. With the win, SDSU improved to a 9-6 overall record. The Jayhawks, meanwhile, are now 10-3 while their pitcher Kara Pierce, who came into the contest with a 7-1 record, was handed her second loss of the season.
Freshman Bianca Cruz notched the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the tenth, while Aztec senior Amber Grahlman went 2-for-2 at the plate and juniors Janna Kovensky and Jacque Vaca contributed two hits each.
Neither team scored through the first eight innings of action. Aztec pitcher Bre DeSanta pitched 5.1 innings, striking out three. Freshman Deanna Richards came in on relief for DeSanta in the sixth inning. She allowed only one hit and fanned a Jayhawk in earning her fourth win of the season.
In the top of the ninth, KU's Jessica Moppin laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Mel Wallach for the first run of the game. SDSU answered in its half of the inning, as Vaca singled to left field to drive home Kovensky. Because Kansas failed to score another run in the top of the 10th, SDSU needed just one run to take the game. Grahlman came to the plate first for the Aztecs, advancing Richards to third on a sacrifice bunt. Cruz batted next for SDSU and singled to left field to bring Richards home and seal the 2-1 victory.
San Diego State returns to action Friday, Feb. 28, when it faces Northern Iowa at 11 a.m. at the Hillenbrand Invitational hosted by Arizona.