May 6, 2005
San Diego - San Diego State softball split a pair of games with conference rival New Mexico, ending an eight-game losing streak in the process. The Aztecs took game one 3-0 on Celena Velasquez's four-hit shutout, before falling 3-2 in the game two. SDSU improves to 24-28, 2-16 in the Mountain West, while New Mexico moves to 15-30, 5-13 in the MWC.
In the first contest, SDSU gave Velasquez (12-12) an early lead and she held down the Lobos, ending an eight-game losing streak, tying the mark of the longest losing skid in the Kathy Van Wyk era. Velasquez went seven innings, striking out two and walking none to earn her first victory in nearly a month.
Velasquez was not the only Aztec with an outstanding game, as Meagan Hartung and Taryin Casillas broke out of slumps to collect five of the nine SDSU hits. Casillas was 3-for-3 with two RBI, a stolen base and her third homerun, the first Aztec round-tripper in conference play. Hartung began her 4-for-5 afternoon with a two-hit showing in game one, scoring a run.
SDSU opened the scoring in the third, when Allison Smith hit a bases-loaded fielder's choice and Casillas hit an RBI single to jump to a 2-0 lead. Kristen Carranza and Hartung had singles in the inning, and Bree Boyer reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt. Casillas led the sixth inning with her home run to cap the scoring at 3-0. SDSU's nine hits were the most for the Aztecs since pounding out 11 hits at Brigham Young on April 22.
In game two, the Aztecs couldn't hold a 1-0 lead, allowing three runs in the fourth inning, falling to the Lobos 3-2. SDSU stranded 12 base runners and couldn't take full advantage of six hits, five walks and four UNM errors, ending the game with a the tying run in scoring position.
Cori Janelli (9-14) took the loss, tossing 3.2 innings, with six strikeouts, before giving way to Velasquez in the top of the fourth. Velasquez was able to come in a shutdown the Lobos and gave the Aztecs a chance, striking out six and allowing no hits in 3.1 innings of work. Velasquez pitched 10.1 shutout innings on the day, striking out eight, walking none and allowing just four hits.
Hartung was 2-for-2 with a pair of walk and a pair of stolen bases to lead the SDSU bats. Chrissie Markham picked up an RBI on an RBI single in the second, scoring Lacey Craft from second for the early lead.
The Aztecs close out the regular season Sunday afternoon with a Senior Day doubleheader against Colorado State at 1 p.m. The game will be televised nationally by College Sports Television (CSTV), the first time a MWC team has done so. CSTV is carried locally on Time-Warner cable and on the DirecTV satellite service.