March 1, 2008
No. 4/7 UCLA 2, No. 20/21 SDSU 1 (9 innings)
No. 20/21 SDSU 4, Eastern Michigan 3
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SAN DIEGO - The No. 20/21 San Diego State softball team split a pair of games on the second day of the San Diego Classic I Saturday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs, who are off to their best start in school history at 15-5, lost a 2-1, nine-inning decision to No. 4/7 UCLA, before rallying for a 4-3 victory over Eastern Michigan in the nightcap.
The first game featured a pitcher's duel between two of the best hurlers in the nation in SDSU's Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif.) and the Bruins' (18-2) Anjelica Selden.
Ross (9-4) limited UCLA, which came into the game with a .362 team batting average with 14 homers and 126 runs in 19 contests, to just five hits in nine innings of work. She fanned six Bruins and allowed two runs (one earned) and a walk in the tough-luck loss. Meanwhile, Selden gave up four hits and an unearned run, while striking out 13 Aztecs.
UCLA got its game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning, when Samantha Camuso's sacrifice fly plated Krista Colburn, giving the Bruins their 12th consecutive victory.
Colburn scored UCLA's first run in the sixth on a San Diego State fielding error, one of two Aztec miscues in the frame.
SDSU bounced back in the bottom half with a run of its own to even the score at 1-1. Junior Christine Kulick (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) led off with a single up the middle and was replaced by sophomore Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario (San Diego, Calif./Morse HS) at first base. Sophomore Lindsey Marquez then laid down a bunt to Selden who threw the ball past the first baseman, allowing Quichocho-Rosario to move to third and Marquez advance to second. Sophomore Brittany Knudsen (San Diego, Calif./Escondido HS) followed with a single to left to score Quichocho-Rosario with the game-tying run.
Senior Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.) then moved each of the runners up a bag with a sacrifice bunt, giving San Diego State runners on second and third with just one out. Selden, however, retired the Aztecs' next two batters on a groundout and strikeout to end the threat.
Following the Bruins' run in the ninth, the Aztecs made it interesting when junior Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) reached on an infield single. But Selden retired the final three SDSU batters on a strikeout, a groundout and a strikeout to end the game in favor of UCLA, 2-1.
Knudsen had two of San Diego State's four hits, while the Monica Harrison had two singles to lead the Bruin offense.
In the nightcap, the Aztecs rallied from a 3-0 deficit with two runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh for a 4-3 win over Eastern Michigan (5-11), their second win over the Eagles in three days.
After Jessica Grant hit a bases loaded double in the bottom of the fourth to give Eastern Michigan three runs on the board, SDSU responded with two hits in the fifth and another three in the seventh, accounting for all four of its runs.
In the fifth, Marquez drew a one-out walk and moved up a base on Knudsen's single to center field. Wells followed with an RBI single to left field. Following a fielder's choice that allowed McCorkle to reach first and load the bases, junior Erin Floros (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel HS) grounded out to second to plate Knudsen. On the play, Wells tried to tie the game for the Aztecs but was thrown out at home by the Eagles' first baseman.
In the seventh, Knudsen (single to left) and Wells (bunt single) each had one-out hits and advanced a base on a groundout by McCorkle. Floros then laced a two-out, two-run single to center, giving San Diego State its first lead of the day. It proved to be her team-leading third game-winning RBI of the season after Ross retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Ross earned the victory, tossing a perfect 1 2/3 innings of relief. Freshman Samantha Beasley (San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) started the game for the Aztecs and allowed three runs on three hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. Classmate Brooke Petty (San Diego, Calif./Vista HS) (2 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 K, 1 BB) also pitched for SDSU.
Floros led the offense with two hits and three RBI, while Knudsen continued her recent hot streak with three hits and two runs. Wells added two singles.
San Diego State wraps up its play in the San Diego Classic I with a game against Pac-10 foe Oregon at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.