May 8, 2005
SAN DIEGO - Celena Velasquez picked up a win and a save Sunday afternoon to lead the San Diego State softball team to a Senior Day sweep, 1-0 and 7-5, over Colorado State at SDSU stadium, the Aztecs first conference sweep of the season. SDSU improves to 26-28 on the season, 4-16 in the Mountain West, while the Rams fall to 29-20 and 8-8 in the MWC.
Velasquez (13-12) picked up the win in game one, tossing a complete-game two-hit shutout with four strikeouts. She got a lead early on an RBI double from Meagan Hartung, who was 3-for-3 in the game, scoring Kristen Carranza who led off the game with a single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Bree Boyer.
The Aztecs notched six hits in the game, but stranded six runners, however Hartung's hit was all they would need as Velasquez notched her second complete-game shutout of the weekend. Jessica Strickland (11-8) took the loss for the Rams.
As much as game one was a pitcher's duel, game two was a hitter's dream as the two teams combined for 12 runs, 23 hits and five extra-base hits. Cori Janelli (10-14) earned the win despite allowing five earned runs, and Velasquez pitched a perfect final 1.2 innings to earn her MWC leading sixth save.
CSU jumped on top of SDSU early, notching a run in the top of the second, but the Aztecs responded with four in the second and three in the third, then held on despite a late charge by the Rams to pull out the win 7-5.
In the second, SDSU connected on five straight hits off of starter JayCee Wood (3-4), including a two-RBI double from Lacey Craft, to put four runs on the board. Megan McDonald, Allison Smith, Chrissie Markham, and Erin Mahoney also had hits for the Aztecs in the inning, while Carranza reached on an error which scored another run for SDSU.
It was more of the same in the third as Smith doubled and Markham smacked an RBI single that was misplayed by the centerfielder, allowing a second run across the plate. Mahoney then reached on another error, which allowed the Aztec's seventh run to cross the plate.
The Rams would make it interesting, however, when they scored four runs on five hits, including a three-run home run from pinch hitter Melanie Laffoon, to close the gap to 7-5 and forcing Janelli from the game, making way for Velasquez to enter and close out the game.
The Aztecs were led at the plate by Craft, who went 1-for-2 with two-RBI and a two runs scored, plus Markham, 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, Smith, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and McDonald, who was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
SDSU now gets ready to host the MWC Championships, as the sixth-seeded Aztecs take on these same Rams in the 2:00 game this Thurs. at SDSU Stadium.