Feb. 12, 2005
STANFORD, Calif. -
<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>San Diego State softball won a pair of games with a career day from the pitching tandem of Cori Janelli and Celena Velasquez, to continue the best start in the program's history. Janelli struck out a career-high 11 in a complete-game one-hitter over DePaul, with SDSU winning 4-0, while Velasquez also struck out a career-high with 13 whiffs in a complete-game win over No. 21 Long Beach State, 4-1. The Aztecs improve to 9-0 on the season while the Blue Demons drop to 4-4 and the 49ers fall to 6-2, both losses for LBSU coming at the hands of SDSU.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
The Aztecs jumped on DePaul in the bottom of the first inning on a single by lead-off hitter Meagan Hartung, an RBI double from Taryin Casillas, a walk for Kristen Carranza and a two RBI double from Megan McDonald. SDSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the second on a Danielle Touhey RBI single.
Janelli gave up her only hit in the top of the fourth, but it wouldn't matter as the senior from Visalia, Calif. retired the last 15 batters to finish the shutout, the sixth of her career.
Velasquez came into the game having already set a new career-high Feb. 5, with 12 strikeouts against UC Riverside in the Aztec Invitational, but she bested the mark with the 13 against LBSU, plus only two walks, three hits and one run in her complete-game outing.
In the second game, Megan McDonald hit a two-run homerun in the fourth and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth for a three-RBI game. SDSU picked up another run in the sixth on a bases loaded walk for Allison Smith.
For the season Janelli is 4-0 with an 0.56 ERA, including 30 strikeouts and only three walks in 25 innings of work, while Velasquez is equally impressive with a 4-0 record, two saves, 39 strikeouts, three walks and a team-low 0.28 ERA on only one earned run and two runs allowed total in 25 innings.
McDonald had a 3-5 afternoon, with five of SDSU's eight RBI, her second homerun of the year, a double and no strikeouts. Touhey, Casillas and Smith also had an RBI for the Aztecs.
SDSU will challenge Cal Poly in the final day of action at the Stanford Tournament, with an 11 a.m. game at Smith Family Stadium.