April 7, 2006
San Diego State 4, New Mexico 1
San Diego State 6, New Mexico 5
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team swept a doubleheader against New Mexico at SDSU Softball Stadium on Friday night. The Aztecs (19-8, 4-0 Mountain West Conference) rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second game for a 6-5 win, after taking the opener by a 4-1 score. The four MWC wins equals SDSU's league win total from last year, when it finished 4-16.
The Aztecs scored their first two runs in the second inning on a throwing error by Lobo third baseman Analise Rubalcava and added two more in the fifth.
In the fifth, sophomore Chrissie Markham singled to left field and scored on an error by New Mexico pitcher Jen Mendenhall. Sophomore Tamani Wells singled home Boyer to give SDSU all the it would need.
Sophomore pitcher Christina Ross (9-5), who was named the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, allowed eight hits and one unearned run over 7.0 innings to pick up the victory. She struck out five batters and issued one walk.
Markham went 1-for-2 and scored two runs to lead the Aztec offense, while Wells was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
In the nightcap, New Mexico got on the scoreboard first with solo runs in the first and third as Cassie Chavez played a part in both runs. In the first, Chavez walked and would later score off a single by Rubalcava. Chavez made it 2-0 Lobos in the third with a home run to left-center field.
However, SDSU answered with runs in consecutive innings. In the fourth, Hartung led off with a single up the middle and would later score on a wild pitch. In the fifth, Boyer's sacrifice fly scored sophomore Taryin Casillas, who reached on an error, to tie the game at 2-2.
New Mexico rallied for three runs in the seventh. Two of the runs came on a double by Kristina Schmallen. Schmallen would later score on an RBI single by Liz Young to give the Lobos the 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
The Aztecs' four runs in the seventh came on a pair of bases loaded walks to freshmen Kasey Mytinger and Erin Floros, and RBI singles by sophomore Megan McDonald and freshman Monica Alnes.
Alnes finished 2-for-3 with an RBI for SDSU, while Hartung was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
Alnes (1-0), pitching in her first career collegiate game, tossed the final 4.0 innings to pick up the win. She allowed three runs on six hits, while striking out three and walking one. Freshman Melissa Owens pitched the first 3.0 innings and gave up two runs on six hits.
The Aztecs will host Colorado State in a MWC doubleheader at noon Sunday.