March 10, 2007
PALO ALTO, Calif. - The San Diego State softball team fell to No. 12 Stanford, 4-3, at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday afternoon. The Aztecs, who earlier in the day defeated Sacramento State, 8-5, fell to 13-11 with the loss. The Cardinal improved to 19-5 with the win.
Stanford got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first inning when Michelle Smith hit a two-run double to left-center field, just out of reach of SDSU centerfielder Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.).
The Aztecs came right back with a run of their own in the second to close the gap to 2-1. Sophomore Monica Alnes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) singled to right to lead off the inning and junior Taryin Casillas (San Diego/Grossmont HS) followed with a hard-hit double down the left field line. Freshman Lindsey Marquez then laid down a perfect bunt that scored Alnes from third. SDSU, however, failed to score any more runs with no outs and two runners on after flying out to right, popping out to shortstop and grounding out to second base in successive at-bats.
Maddy Coon made it 3-1 Stanford with a solo homer to lead off the third, but the Aztecs answered with the two runs in the fifth to tie the game at 3-3. Knudsen was hit by a pitch and advanced to third when Wells doubled to left-center field. Following a strikeout, junior Megan McDonald (Glendale, Ariz.) singled up the middle to score both Knudsen and Wells.
The Cardinal took the lead for good in the bottom frame when Smith hit a two-out single to score Coon from second.
Wells went 3-for-4 with a double for SDSU, which outhit Stanford, 8-6, but left eight runners on base, while five others had a hit apiece.
Junior pitcher Christina Ross (8-5) took the loss for the Aztecs after allowing one run on three hits over the last two innings. Sophomore Melissa Owens started the game for SDSU and gave up three runs on three hits in four innings. She struck out four and walked three.
Earlier in the day, SDSU tied a season high with 13 hits en route to a 8-5 win over Sacramento State. Sophomore Erin Floros (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) went 3-for-3 to pace the Aztec offense, while sophomore Dani Sidoti was 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Senior Christina Hollingshead (San Jose, Calif.) and sophomore Melissa Owens (San Diego/Christian HS) each went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Knudsen (two runs, triple), Casillas (1-for-2, two RBI) and Marquez (1-for-3, two RBI, double) also had big days at the plate for San Diego State.
It was Sacramento State who took the early lead, however, when Amy Tompkins reached on a SDSU fielding error in the top of the first and scored on a single by Jamie Schloredt.
The Aztecs answered in their half of the inning with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. After a leadoff lineout, Knudsen reached on a throwing error by the Hornet third baseman and advanced to second base on a groundout by Owens. Hollingshead, making just her second start of the season, doubled off the right field wall to plate Owens and scored when Sidoti followed with a double of her own to left field.
SDSU tacked on three more runs in the third thanks to timely hits and good base running. The big inning started when Knudsen tripled to right field and scored on an RBI single by Owens. After Owens was thrown out trying to steal second, Hollingshead walked and was replaced by freshman Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario. Quichocho-Rosario then scored on Sidoti's second double of the game. Sidoti would score the Aztecs' final run of the inning on a single up the middle by Casillas.
SDSU plated three more in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Casillas and a two-run double by Marquez to open a commanding 8-1 lead.
Sacramento State answered with four runs in the sixth on five hits, but the Aztecs settled down and held on for the 8-5 win.
Ross scattered eight hits and five runs (four earned) over six innings for the win. She struck out five without a walk. Owens struck out two and allowed one hit in the seventh to pick up her first career save.
SDSU will play tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the consolation game of the tournament against an opponent to be announced.