Feb. 28, 2003
TUCSON, Ariz. - The San Diego State softball team scored seven runs in their game against Northern Iowa followed by a season-high eight runs versus the New Mexico State Aggies to claim victories in their opening games at Arizona's Hillenbrand Inviational Friday afternoon, defeating the Panthers, 7-0, and the Aggies, 8-0, in six innings. With the win, the Aztecs now own an 11-6 overall record and have won eight of their last 10 games.
Freshman pitchers Celena Velasquez and Deanna Richards each pitched their first career complete-game shutouts. Against the Panthers, Velasquez allowed just four hits while striking out a career-high eight batters. Richards pitched a no-hitter to the Aggies until the sixth, when she gave up the only hit of her outing. Richards now has a team-high five wins on the season, while Velasquez improved to 3-1.
The Aztecs did not get on the board against UNI until the sixth inning when junior center fielder Janna Kovensky and third baseman Kelcy Murphy hit back-to-back triples to drive home two runs. Murphy later scored on a Jacque Vaca single to give the Aztecs a 3-0 lead. San Diego State scored four more runs in the seventh as sophomore Lacey Craft crossed home plate and left fielder Erin Mahoney scored on a wild pitch. The frame was capped off by Kovensky's two-run homer to left field to seal the 7-0 win.
San Diego State took an early lead in its game with New Mexico State, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first as Mahoney again scored on a wild pitch, followed by Kovensky and Murphy pulling off the double steal, as Murphy stole second and Kovensky stole home. The Aztecs padded their lead by scoring six more runs in the sixth inning. Mahoney singled to bring home Richards and freshman Bridgette Caron singled to drive home Mahoney. Freshmen Bree Boyer and Bianca Cruz, sophomore Brittany Green and Kovensky all scored on two Aggie errors, as SDSU notched six runs on three hits to earn the 8-0 decision.
The Aztecs return to action tomorrow, facing the Dutch national team at 9 a.m. (MST), followed by a 5 p.m. tilt with No. 2 Arizona.