Feb. 13, 2004
Mississippi State Box Score
Oklahoma State Box Score
SAN DIEGO - Pitcher Celena Velasquez (Tucson, Ariz.) came within two outs of her first career no-hitter on Friday in the Aztec Invitational's final game of the first day of play. The San Diego State softball team went on to defeat Oklahoma State (0-2), a team ranked in the top 25 of both major softball polls, 4-1. In SDSU's home opener earlier in the day, the Aztecs (5-4) topped previously undefeated Mississippi State (7-1) by a 5-3 count. The tournament's first two games saw Mississippi State outlast UC Santa Barbara, 6-3, and UCSB (8-5) come back and outscore Oklahoma State, 4-3.
The Cowgirls, ranked No. 21 by ESPN.com/USA Softball and No. 24 by USA Today/NFCA, were held in check by Velasquez, who followed a first-inning walk by retiring the next 17 batters until shortstop Stephanie Nicholson doubled to the center field fence with one out in the seventh. She would come around to score later in the inning and cut the Aztec lead to 4-1, but that was all Oklahoma State could get against the Aztecs. Velasquez finished with a two-hitter.
The Aztecs scored their first run in the second on an error and then added another tally in the fourth on a wild pitch. In the fifth, Aztec runs were scored on RBI singles by center fielder Janna Kovensky (San Diego, Calif.) and designated player Kelcy Murphy (San Diego, Calif.).
For the game, Murphy went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI, while first baseman Deanna Richards (Visalia, Calif.) hit a double and scored a run.
In the Aztecs' home opener, SDSU grabbed control in the fifth inning against undefeated Mississippi State with four runs, taking a 5-2 lead. Right fielder Bree Boyer (Huntington Beach, Calif.) started the wild inning with a single to right center, which was followed by a sacrifice bunt and an error. A Kovensky single to right field combined with an error allowed Boyer to score and tie the game at 2.
Shortstop Bianca Cruz (Glendale, Ariz.) bunted in the second run of the inning with left fielder Erin Mahoney (Westchester, Calif.) scoring on the play. Cruz then took off and stole second during the same play after the Bulldog attempt at the plate to get Mahoney. Murphy followed by driving in Kovensky with a single. Cruz scored on a subsequent wild pitch.
The rally ended suddenly when a smoked line drive by second baseman Joann Figueroa (Phoenix, Ariz.) was snared by Bulldog third baseman Tanelda McDonald, who tagged Murphy out at third base for a double play to end the inning, but not before the Aztecs had tallied four runs on three hits and three MSU errors for a 5-2 lead. The Bulldogs scored a run in the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3 and had a couple runners on with two outs in the seventh before a runner was nailed at third base by Kovensky in an attempt to advance two bases on a single.
Boyer went 3-for-3 with a run, the sophomore's first multiple-hit game. Kovensky was 2-for-3 with one run and two RBI. Richards came in relief for the win, allowing one run in 2.2 innings. Cori Janelli (Visalia, Calif.) started on the mound and gave up two runs, one earned, in 4.1 innings.
Tournament action continues on Saturday with the Aztecs facing UC Santa Barbara at 9 a.m. and Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. Other tournament games tomorrow see Mississippi State battle Oklahoma State at 11 a.m. and Mississippi State versus UC Santa Barbara at 1 p.m. The tournament concludes on Sunday with Oklahoma State playing UC Santa Barbara at 9 a.m. and Mississippi State versus San Diego State at 11 a.m. to conclude the tournament.