Feb. 25, 2006
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team defeated Kentucky, 5-3, at the 2006 Aztec Invitational at SDSU Stadium on Saturday. The Aztecs improved to 8-3 on the season with the win, while the Wildcats dropped to 6-5.
After Kentucky scored two runs in the first inning on a single by Katie Campbell, SDSU rallied for two runs in the bottom half of the inning off an Erin Floros double and Taryin Casillas single to tie the game at 2-2.
SDSU scored three more runs in the third, all with two outs, off four hits to take a 5-2 lead. Floros led off the inning with a single and was replaced by senior Jamie Burton at first base. Burton advanced to third on a pair of groundouts by freshman Melissa Owens and Casillas. Freshman Monica Alnes followed with a triple to right-center and scored when sophomore Tamani Wells doubled down the right field line. After an Allison Smith walk, senior Bree Boyer laced a single to center to score Wells with the team's final run of the game.
The Wildcats cut into the Aztecs' lead in the sixth after scoring a run on a SDSU error and had runners on second and third with only one out. However, sophomore pitcher Christina Ross relieved senior Celena Velasquez and struck out consecutive batters to get out of the jam.
Velasquez (4-1) scattered five hits over 5 1/3 innings to earn the victory for SDSU. She struck out five batters and allowed one walk, and gave up only two hits over the final 4 1/3 innings. Ross struck out four over the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed just one hit to pick up her second save of the season.
Boyer (2-for-2), sophomore Megan McDonald (2-for-2) and Floros (2-for-4) each recorded two hits apiece to lead the Aztec offensive attack.
San Diego State returns to action at 11:15 a.m. Sunday against Indiana State at SDSU Softball Stadium in the final game of the 2006 Aztec Invitational.