March 13, 2004
FRESNO, Calif. - The Aztec softball team (16-14) once again held No. 1/1 UCLA (25-0) closer than anybody else has this season, but could not pull out a historic win. The Bruins defeated SDSU at the Clovis Auto Row Softball Classic on Saturday night, 2-0. The Aztecs have now held UCLA to its two fewest run outputs of the season and have accounted two of UCLA's three closest wins (UCLA topped Washington, 5-3, on Feb. 7). The Bruins have now won 30 straight, dating back to last season's national championship run.
Bruin center fielder Stephanie Ramos ended pitcher Cori Janelli's (Visalia, Calif.) magnificent scoreless streak in a hurry by smashing a two-run blast with one out in the first that easily cleared the right field fence. Janelli had gone 25.2 consecutive scoreless innings and allowed only one earned run her previous 44.2 innings of work.
In the fifth, right fielder Bree Boyer (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Janelli reached base (single and hit by pitch, respectively), but a ground-out double play ended the Aztec threat. Two Aztecs also reached the base paths in the sixth, but were not able to bring them in.
Left fielder Erin Mahoney (Westchester, Calif.) went 2-for-3 to lead the offense and Janelli allowed two runs, both earned, in six innings of work.
San Diego State ends its play at the tournament with No. --/25 Long Beach State at 1 p.m. on Sunday, before hosting No. 6/t7 Oklahoma at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.