May 5, 2003
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Aztec pitcher Bre DeSanta pitched three hitless innings while junior first baseman Jacque Vaca went 3-for-4 from the plate and drove in two runs as the San Diego State softball team (36-17, 12-3 MWC) defeated the New Mexico Lobos (24-35-1, 7-13), 4-2, in game two of Sunday's doubleheader. SDSU lost in the first game, 2-1.
San Diego State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in game two when Vaca singled to score sophomore left fielder Erin Mahoney. In the Aztecs' next at-bat, junior third baseman Kelcy Murphy's sacrifice fly brought home junior center fielder Janna Kovensky to put the Aztecs up, 2-0.
SDSU put up another run in the third when Kovensky, who went 2-for-3 with two runs in the game, stole second and then came around to score when Vaca singled to right field. In the fourth inning, senior catcher Amber Grahlman, sophomore right fielder Jennifer Funk and junior second baseman Joann Figueroa notched back-to-back-to-back hits to produce the Aztecs' fourth and final run, as SDSU entered the bottom half of the fourth inning with a 4-0 advantage.
The Lobos scored their first run of the contest in the fourth when Sabrina Sandberg got UNM's first hit off DeSanta to bring home teammate Jennifer Sena. New Mexico threatened again in the seventh when Ashley Shartzer doubled down the right field line to drive in Jamar Bynum and cut the Aztecs' lead by half, 4-2. Aztec pitcher Deanna Richards, who came in on relief for DeSanta in the sixth, walked Ora Hensley to load the bases but managed to retire the next two batters as SDSU hung on for the 4-2 victory.
DeSanta (17-4) picked up the win for the Aztecs and maintains a perfect 17-0 career record against MWC opponents in regular-season games. Richards earned the second save of her career.
In the first game, the Aztecs got on the board early when freshman shortstop Bianca Cruz doubled to right field to score Murphy in the top of the second. The Lobos answered in their half of the frame, as Iraina Ogas homered to right to tie the game, 1-1. New Mexico produced another run in the fifth when Sandberg scored on a Stephanie Kennedy triple.
Grahlman, who went 2-for-3 in the contest, battled through her at-bat to reach in the seventh. Richards followed with a single to put the Aztecs in scoring position, but Lobo pitcher Amy Dumas (13-15) struck out the Aztecs' final batter for New Mexico to claim the 2-1 win.
The Aztecs host the Mountain West Conference tournament May 8-10 at SDSU Field. San Diego State's first game of the tourney will be on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The Aztecs will face the winner of the Utah/New Mexico game.