Feb. 23, 2006
San Diego State-Western Kentucky Final Stats
San Diego State-Long Beach State Final Stats
SAN DIEGO - Behind another solid performance from pitcher Christina Ross, the San Diego State softball team defeated Long Beach State, 5-1, Thursday night at the SDSU Softball Stadium. The decisive victory was important for SDSU (6-3) after getting knocked off by Western Kentucky (L, 4-3) in the last inning earlier in the day.
Against the 49ers, Ross pitched all seven innings and allowed only one run (unearned) and four hits. The sophomore struckout five batters and improved her record to 3-2 on the season. Through 32.0 innings this season, Ross has posted an ERA of 0.66 and batters are hitting just .175 against her.
Offensively, two Aztecs had multi-hit games. Center fielder Meagan Hartung went 2-for-3 with an RBI and shortstop Chrissie Markham went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Sophomore Allison Smith, who had two RBI on the night, drove in the first run of the game in the second inning when she reached base on a fielder's choice, allowing third baseman Taryin Casillas to cross home plate after doubling earlier in the inning.
Long Beach State (4-5) tied the game in the top of sixth after a double from pitcher Michelle Turner allowed shortstop Jessica Beaver to score.
SDSU wasted no time in taking the lead back for good as it scored four times in the bottom half of the frame, thanks in part to three 49er errors. Smith got her second RBI of the game, much like her first one, when she reached on a fielder's choice, followed by a throwing error by Beaver that allowed her to advance to second and Casillas to score. Smith would later cross the plate after a throwing error by catcher Brooke LeSage. Markham, who had singled earlier in the inning, added another tally on the board for the Aztecs after Hartung reached on a 49er error, this time a dropped fly ball by left fielder Kourtnee Gervasi. An RBI groundout by right fielder Kristen Carranza brought home sophomore Tamani Wells for the fourth run of the inning for SDSU.
The first game of the day didn't end the way the Aztecs had hoped, as Western Kentucky scrounged two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the 4-3 win.
Hartung and Casillas each had two-hit games in the contest and Hartung also finished with a run scored. It was SDSU who struck first in this game as well. First baseman Monica Alnes doubled in the second to bring home pinch runner Amanda Beasley for the first run of the game. Alnes would later score in the inning from a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman Kasey Mytinger.
In the following inning, Hartung would score the third run for SDSU when Beasley, who stayed in the game as the designated player, slapped a single into center field.
Katie Cochran got the start in the circle for the Aztecs and threw 3 2/3 innings. The junior allowed two runs on six hits and stuck out four. She was replaced by senior Celena Velasquez (3-1), who gave up two runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings to take the loss.
SDSU will continue its play in the Aztec Invitational at 8:15 p.m. Friday when they host Wagner at SDSU Softball Stadium.