March 10, 2007
PALO ALTO, Calif. - The San Diego State softball team tied its season high with 13 hits in an 8-5 victory over Sacramento State at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday afternoon. The Aztecs improved to 13-10 and will face No. 12 Stanford at approximately 2 p.m. later in the day, while the Hornets fell to 4-12.
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. Freshman Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) (two runs, triple), junior Taryin Casillas (San Diego/Grossmont HS) (1-for-2, two RBI) and freshman Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif.) (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.
Junior Christina Ross (8-4) 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.