April 15, 2006
San Diego State 3, UNLV 2
San Diego State 5, UNLV 2
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team swept a doubleheader against UNLV at SDSU Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Aztecs (23-8, 8-0 Mountain West Conference), who are receiving votes in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate national poll and are ranked No. 19 in the latest RPI, won the first game, 3-2, and earned a 5-2 victory in the second game.
Sophomore Taryin Casillas went 4-for-6 with an RBI over the two games to lead the SDSU offense, while classmate Tamani Wells was 3-for-7 with three runs scored.
The Aztecs won the first game in the bottom of the seventh inning when sophomore Megan McDonald singled to left field to score Wells from second base. Wells, who singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Erin Floros, slid under the tag of the Rebels' (17-30, 2-8 MWC) catcher Brittany Hillyer at home plate for the game-winning run in the 3-2 victory.
Casillas (2-for-3) led the offense with two hits, including an RBI single, while sophomore Allison Smith was 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly. Wells (1-for-3) scored two runs in the game and sophomore Chrissie Markham (1-for-2) had a leadoff triple in the fourth.
Senior Celena Velasquez pitched the final inning and allowed one hit to pick up the win for SDSU. Sophomore Christina Ross tossed the first 6.0 innings and gave up two runs and three hits. The two runs were the first given up by the University of Kansas transfer in 29.0 innings of MWC play. She struck out four batters and walked three.
In the second game, the Aztecs scored three runs in the second and added solo runs in the third and fourth to earn the 5-2 win. Freshman Kasey Mytinger went 2-for-3, including a two-run single in the second, and four others - Casillas (2-for-3, run), Wells (2-for-4, run), Floros (2-for-4) and senior Meagan Hartung (2-for-4) - had two hits apiece for SDSU. Freshman Melissa Owens was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored, and classmate Monica Alnes (1-for-3) scored two runs.
Velasquez (8-3) stuck out a season-high 10 batters over 7.0 innings to pick up the win. She gave up seven hits and a two-run pinch-hit homer by Sandy Nakamura in the seventh for UNLV's only runs of the game.
SDSU will host travel to Fort Collins, Colo., for a MWC doubleheader against Colorado State at 1 p.m. Friday.
Game 1
San Diego State 3, UNLV 2
UNLV - 000 002 0 - 2 4 1
San Diego State - 001 100 1 - 3 6 3
Crisp, McDonald (4) and Hillyer; Ross, Velasquez (7) and Floros.
Win: Velasquez (7-3); Loss: McDonald (2-4)
Game 2
San Diego State 5, UNLV 2
UNLV - 000 000 2 - 2 7 4
San Diego State - 031 100 x - 5 12 0
Robinson, Crisp (5) and Hillyer; Velasquez and Floros
Win: Velasquez (8-3); Loss: Robinson (5-10)
HR: UNLV - Nakamura (1)
Records: UNLV: 17-30, 2-8 MWC
San Diego State: 23-8, 8-0 MWC