April 21, 2007
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - San Diego State junior Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif.) struck out 12 batters over seven scoreless innings and SDSU took advantage of five UNLV errors in a 5-0 victory at Eller Media Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Saturday night. The Aztecs improved to 27-18 (3-6 Mountain West Conference) with the victory, while the first-place Rebels fell to 31-19 and 6-2.
Ross (19-9) allowed just three hits, all singles, to pick up her ninth shutout of the season. She struck out 12 in the game, including all three Rebels in the third and sixth inning.
Sophomore Monica Alnes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) hit a one-out two-run homer in the top of the fourth for what proved to be the only run SDSU needed.
The game would remain 1-0 until the seventh when the Aztecs tacked on four more runs, thanks to three hits and three UNLV errors. Freshman Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif.) led off the big inning with a double to right-center and moved to third on a single by junior Megan McDonald (Glendale, Ariz.). Freshman Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario replaced McDonald at first and promptly stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Two batters later, sophomore Christine Kulick (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Marquez and Quichocho-Rosario, and advanced all the way to third base on a throwing error by the Rebel pitcher.
Three batters later, senior Amanda Beasley (San Diego/Mount Miguel HS) laced a single to right to plate Kulick and junior Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.) for the final two runs of the game. Beasley finished the game 1-for-1 with a walk and two RBI.
San Diego State will play at UNLV again on Sunday, beginning at 2 p.m.