March 9, 2003
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team scored eight runs on a season-high 12 hits to defeat the Harvard Crimson, 8-1, Sunday morning at the SDSU Tournament. Later in the day, sophomore pitcher Bre DeSanta held Long Beach State scoreless, while striking out a career-high 11 batters, to defeat the 49ers, 2-0, in the final game of the tournament. SDSU now owns a 16-9 overall record and finished second among the five teams at the tourney, going 3-1 over the weekend.
Two Aztecs scored in the first inning against the Crimson, as junior second baseman Joann Figueora laid down a bunt single to reach first and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Freshman Deanna Richards singled up the middle to bring home junior outfielder Janna Kovensky for the Aztecs' other run of the inning to put them up, 2-1.
SDSU's offense struck again in the second frame when Figueroa, who finished 4-for-4 at the plate, and freshman Bridgette Caron scored on an Erin Mahoney single. San Diego State entered the bottom of the sixth inning with a 4-1 advantage when junior Kelcy Murphy came in as a pinch hitter and doubled to center field to bring home Caron and Lacey Craft.
Junior Jacque Vaca grounded out to second base later in the sixth as Figueroa crossed home plate for the third time to give SDSU a 7-1 advantage. The Aztecs added one final run in the frame when Richards singled to center field to drive in Murphy for the 8-1 victory.
Freshman pitcher Celena Velasquez struck out a season-high nine batters in picking up her fourth win of the season. She allowed just two hits and did not walk a single batter, while Richards earned the first save of her freshman campaign.
DeSanta (7-2) held the 49ers at bay the entire game in SDSU's contest with Long Beach. The right-handed hurler scattered two hits over the course of seven innings of work and walked only one batter for her seventh win of the year. Figueroa again paced the Aztec offense, hitting safely in two of her three at-bats.
Caron singled to center field to drive in Murphy in the second inning and Mahoney scored on a wild pitch in the third to put the Aztecs up for good, 2-0. In all, five different Aztecs notched hits to account for SDSU's six hits in the game.
San Diego State returns to action next weekend when it co-hosts the Aztec Invitational with USD, March 14-16. SDSU's first game is against Iowa at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, March 14 at SDSU Field.
SDSU Softball TournamentFinal Standings
1. Northern Iowa 4-12. San Diego State 3-13. San Diego 2-24. Long Beach State 2-35. Harvard 0-4