Feb. 23, 2008
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif - The No. 25 San Diego State softball team dropped its second one-run game of the day, this time falling to No. 18/19 Georgia, 7-6, Saturday night at the Palm Springs Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. The loss dropped the Aztecs to 11-3, while the Bulldogs improved to 11-3.
Georgia got on the scoreboard when Christie Hamilton led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run.
SDSU answered in the third with a four-run inning, thanks to a two-run double by junior Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.), an RBI single by junior Erin Floros (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel HS) and an RBI groundout by senior Megan McDonald (Glendale, Ariz.).
The Bulldogs responded with six runs over the next two innings to open a 7-4 lead. Three of the six runs came on homers - a solo shot by Christie Schlopy in the third and a two-run homer by Megan Wiggins in the fourth.
Sophomore Janae Portugal (San Diego, Calif./Westview HS) got the Aztecs to within one run in the sixth when she laced an 0-2 pitch into the left-center field gap to score freshman Jen Wisneski (Riverside, Calif.) and redshirt junior Dani Sidoti (Tucson, Ariz.).
After Georgia failed to score in its half of the frame, SDSU had one last chance in the seventh. Sophomore Brittany Knudsen (San Diego, Calif./Escondido HS) beat out an infield single to begin the inning and Floros came up to the plate. Floros ripped a shot up the middle, but the Bulldog shortstop somehow got to it and turned the unassisted double play, ending any real threat for San Diego State.
Senior Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.) had two of the Aztecs' seven hits to pace the offense.
SDSU freshman Samantha Beasley (San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) (2-1) took the loss after giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits over three innings of relief. Freshman Brooke Petty (San Diego, Calif./Vista HS) (2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER) and senior Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif.) (1 IP, 1 H, 3 K) also pitched for the Aztecs.
In the earlier game, San Diego State saw its nine-game winning streak fall at the hands of Susan Ogden and No. 6/8 Oklahoma when she homered in the fifth to left field with one out.
Ross (7-2) pitched another strong outing for SDSU, as she allowed one run on three hits over six innings. She struck out five and walked one, losing for the first time in seven decisions.
Sidoti and Knudsen each singled for the Aztecs.
San Diego State wraps up its play in the Palm Springs Classic with a game against No. 10/13 Baylor at 9 a.m. Sunday.