Feb. 6, 2003
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team opened the 2003 season with a 6-1 win over Point Loma Nazarene College Thursday afternoon at SDSU Field.
Freshman pitcher Deanna Richards picked up a win in her collegiate debut, allowing only two hits and no runs over the course 2 2/3 innings of work. Right fielder Bridgette Caron, also a freshman, got two hits, drove in a run and scored a run in her first game as an Aztec. In all, four freshmen Aztecs appeared in SDSU's inaugural game of the season, three of which started.
The first game was a pitcher's dual until the fifth inning, when Crusader Jessica Casillas singled to bring home teammate Lauren Gallardo. The Aztecs got on the board early in the bottom of the fifth when, with one out, left fielder Erin Mahoney tripled to right field to drive in Caron. Junior Kelcy Murphy also tripled in the fifth to bring home two more runners, juniors Janna Kovensky and Joann Figueroa. First baseman Jacque Vaca's double to center field brought home Murphy for SDSU's final run of the inning.
San Diego State added some insurance runs in the sixth, as sophomore Danielle Touhey scored on a Caron triple and Mahoney crossed home plate on a wild pitch.
The Aztecs scored first in the second game, as Richards homered on her first pitch with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Point Loma went on to score two runs in the sixth, as Jessica Rapoza singled to bring home Jessica Casillas and MacKenzie Gerke. SDSU tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, but it wasn't enough, as Lisa Field's RBI lifted the Crusaders above the Aztecs, 3-2.
San Diego State returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 8 with a doubleheader at Cal State Northridge at noon. The Aztecs then face off against the Matadors of CSUN on Sunday in a single game also beginning at noon.
GAME 1Point Loma 000 010 0 - 1 8 2SDSU 000 042 x - 6 8 0WP - Deanna RichardsLP - Leslie LudlowGAME 2Point Loma 000 002 1 - 3 9 3SDSU 000 011 0 - 2 7 0WP - Miranda VandervoortLP - Deanna Richards