March 5, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
The No. 17/21 San Diego State softball team's bats came alive in a 12-1, five-inning victory over Loyola-Chicago Wednesday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The 12 runs were a season high for the Aztecs (17-5), who continued their best start in school history, while the 11 hits tied their season-best offensive output.
After a scoreless first two innings, SDSU exploded for seven runs in the third and five more in the fourth.
Four Aztecs - sophomore Brittany Knudsen (San Diego, Calif./Escondido HS) (2-for-3, two runs), junior Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) (2-for-2, two runs, two RBI), junior Erin Floros (2-for-2, run, RBI) and junior Christine Kulick (2-for-2, run, two RBI) - had two hits apiece to lead the offense.
Sophomore Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif.) tied her career high with three RBI, while redshirt junior Dani Sidoti (Tucson, Ariz.) scored twice and freshman Jessica Camello (Temecula, Calif.) hit a pinch-hit two-run double in the fourth.
San Diego State's big third began when Kulick singled to third base and moved to second on freshman Jen Wisneski's (Riverside, Calif.) groundout. Knudsen then reached on a bunt single and swiped second. Following a walk to senior Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.), McCorkle ripped a single to center field to put the Aztecs up, 2-0, early.
Floros walked to load the bases for Marquez, who lofted a fly ball to right to plate Wells from third and move McCorkle up a base. McCorkle scored on an illegal pitch, which moved Floros to second, and Sidoti followed with an infield single, putting SDSU runners on first and third.
Loyola-Chicago appeared to get out of the inning when freshman Taylor Sutton's (Gilroy, Calif.) groundball went toward its second baseman Lindsay O'Gean. O'Gean, however, overthrew the first baseman, which allowed Floros to score and move Sidoti and Sutton into scoring position. Kulick then finished what she started with a two-run single to center to give San Diego State a commanding 7-0 advantage after three innings.
After freshman pitcher Brooke Petty (San Diego, Calif./Vista HS) struck out a Rambler batter with two outs and the bases loaded, the Aztecs went back to work in their half of the fourth. Knudsen singled to left and moved to second on a groundout by Wells. McCorkle put runners on the corners with another single and Floros followed with an RBI single to right field.
Sophomore Katy Erickson (Tustin, Calif.) replaced Floros at first base and stole second easily with Marquez at the plate. Marquez then took the 3-2 pitch the opposite way for her first double of the season, putting SDSU up, 10-0. Following a walk to Sidoti and a strikeout, Camello laced her first career double to the left-center field wall to plate Marquez and Sidoti with San Diego State's final runs of the night.
Ellen Kresl's singled home Stephanie Cihlar in the fifth for Loyola-Chicago to prevent the shutout.
Petty (4-0) pitched five effective innings for the Aztecs, allowing just one unearned run on three hits. She struck out two and walked three en route to picking up her fourth straight victory to start her collegiate career.
SDSU will travel to Tempe, Ariz., this weekend for the Arizona State Tournament. Highlighting the tournament will be the host Sun Devils, who are now 22-1 and ranked No. 1 in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA polls.