Feb. 15, 2006
SAN DIEGO - Sophomore pitcher Christina Ross tossed a complete game shutout, and Megan McDonald and Erin Floros each had three hits apiece to lead the San Diego State softball team to a 5-0 victory over San Diego at the SDSU Softball Stadium on Wednesday. The Aztecs improve to 4-1 on the season and are now 41-1 all-time against the Toreros (2-3).
Ross (2-1), a transfer from the University of Kansas, struck out seven batters en route to her second shutout in as many starts. She gave up only two hits and walked one, and allowed only one San Diego runner to reach second base.
SDSU scored a run in each of its final five innings on a season-high 10 hits.
The Aztecs used small ball and a little bit of help from the Torero defense to produce their first run in the bottom of the second inning. McDonald singled and was replaced at first by senior Jamie Burton. Sophomore Allison Smith followed and reached first on a fielder's choice, while Burton moved to second on a San Diego error. Sophomore Chrissie Markham moved both runners up a base on a sacrifice bunt and Burton scored on the next play when the Toreros were unable to field a Bree Boyer ground ball.
The third inning was much of the same for SDSU. Floros led off with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on a groundout by freshman Melissa Owens. Sophomore Taryin Casillas followed with an RBI single up the middle, giving the Aztecs a 2-0 lead.
Senior center fielder Meagan Hartung's third career home run in the fourth and an RBI single by McDonald in the fifth made it 4-0 in favor of SDSU. Sophomore Kristen Carranza, playing in her first game of the season, had a sacrifice fly in the sixth for the Aztecs' final run.
McDonald went 3-for-3 with an RBI in the game and Floros was 3-for-4 and scored two runs. Hartung added two hits (2-for-3) and junior Christina Hollingshead had her first single as an Aztec.
SDSU will compete in the UC Santa Barbara Invitational this weekend in Santa Barbara, Calif. The Aztecs' first game will be against Rider at 9 a.m. Friday.
GAME NOTES: SDSU started eight underclassmen (six sophomores, two freshmen) ... The Aztecs improve to 41-1 all-time versus the Toreros ... SDSU had a season-high 10 hits ... In 18 1/3 innings this season, LHP Christina Ross has allowed only one run for an ERA of 0.38. It was the second time this year that she did not allow an opposing team past second base ... The Aztecs had two players with three hits in a game for the first time since April 22, 2005 (16 games) when Taryin Casillas and Chrissie Markham each had three ... SDSU did not commit an error for the second time this season.