May 10, 2007
San Diego State 2, Utah 1
Utah 7, San Diego State 2
SALT LAKE CITY - The San Diego State softball split a doubleheader at Utah Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City. The Aztecs (31-23, 7-11 MWC) won the first game, 2-1, and dropped a 7-2 decision in the nightcap.
In the opener, San Diego State rallied from a one-run deficit in the fifth to take the 2-1 victory.
The game remained scoreless for the first three innings as SDSU pitcher Christina Ross (22-12) kept Utah (25-24-1, 5-12 MWC) without a hit. The Utes' Diana Phillips, however, broke the no-hit bid with an infield single in the bottom of the fourth and scored on one of two Aztec errors in the inning to give Utah the 1-0 lead.
SDSU came right back with two runs of its own in the fifth. Senior Christy Hollingshead (San Jose, Calif.) led of the inning and was replaced at first by freshman Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario (San Diego/Morse HS). Junior Megan McDonald (Glendale, Ariz.) followed with a double down the left field line to score Quichocho-Rosario. Freshman Katy Erickson (Tustin, Calif.) pinch ran for McDonald at second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Christine Kulick (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), and scored on freshman Brittany Knudsen's (San Diego/Escondido HS) sacrifice fly to left.
There would be no runs the rest of the game as Ross had another solid outing in the circle. She allowed just one unearned run on four hits and struck out six over seven innings.
Junior Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.) went 3-for-3 and stole two bases to lead the Aztecs, who outhit the Utes, 8-4.
In the nightcap, Utah banged out 13 hits en route to the 7-2 win.
The Utes scored two runs in the first on a pair of RBI singles by Andrea Hoffman and Kara Foster.
SDSU bounced back with two runs in the second to tie the game at 2-2. Freshman Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif.) reached on a one-out error and scored on a Ute error later in the inning. The Aztecs' other run came when Kulick's fielder's choice bunt scored sophomore Dani Sidoti (Tucson, Ariz.) from third.
The Utes tacked on three more runs in the second on a bunt single by Staci Hemingway, a fielder's choice bunt by Hailey Davenport and fielder's choice groundout by Andrea Hoffman, and another two runs in the sixth on a two-run homer by Hemingway.
SDSU had no answer against Utah ace Meghan Dyer, who allowed just three hits and no earned runs over seven innings. She struck out four and did not issue a walk.
Marquez, Sidoti, and McDonald each singled for the Aztecs.
Sophomore Melissa Owens (9-9) scattered five runs (four earned) on 11 hits to take the loss. She struck out six and gave up two walks. Wells pitched the final inning and allowed one earned run on one hit.
San Diego State continues its stay in The Beehive State when it travels to Brigham Young for a single game at 6 p.m. MT Friday.