May 5, 2007
SAN DIEGO -
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The San Diego State softball team won its third consecutive game Saturday night, defeating UNLV, 5-3, at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs improved to 30-21 and 6-9 in the Mountain West, while the Rebels fell to 34-25 and 9-6.
SDSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first thanks to two UNLV errors and three walks by starting pitcher Heather Slettvet. Junior Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.) scored the Aztecs' first run when freshman Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif.) drew a bases loaded walk. Sophomore Dani Sidoti (Tucson, Ariz.) followed with a fielder's choice RBI that plated sophomore Melissa Owens (San Diego/Christian HS). Sophomore Monica Alnes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) also scored on the play on an errant throw by Rebel second baseman Kelli Fangonilo.
UNLV bounced back with three runs of its own in the top of the fourth, two of them coming on a two-run homer by Rosa Ordaz.
However, freshman Katy Erickson (Tustin, Calif.) scored from second on a triple by freshman Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) in the bottom half of the inning to give SDSU a lead it would never relinquish. Sophomore Christine Kulick (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) singled to right to lead off the frame and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Janae Portugal (San Diego/Westview HS). Erickson then replaced Kulick and scored on Knudsen's third triple of the season.
An RBI groundout by Marquez in the sixth scored Knudsen with the final run of the game.
Knudsen went 2-for-2 with two walks, as she reached base safely in all four plate appearances, improving her batting average to .401 in the process.
Marquez had her SDSU season-high 13-game hitting streak snapped, but did drive in two runs and walked twice. Sidoti added a single and a RBI.
Owens allowed three runs on five hits to improve to 9-8 on the season. She struck out five and did not give up a walk. Junior Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif.) tossed two hitless innings of relief with three strikeouts to earn her second save of the 2007 campaign.
San Diego State plays host to the Rebels again on Sunday with the first pitch set for 1 p.m. It will be the last regular season home game for seniors Amanda Beasley (San Diego/Mount Miguel HS) and Christy Hollingshead (San Jose, Calif.).