April 18, 2008
Game 1: No. 22/24 SDSU 2, New Mexico 0
Game 2: No. 22/24 SDSU 6, New Mexico 4
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -
Game 1: No. 22/24 SDSU 2, New Mexico 0
Game 2: No. 22/24 SDSU 6, New Mexico 4
Senior Megan McDonald (Glendale, Ariz.) homered in each game to lead the No. 22/24 San Diego State softball team to a sweep of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., Friday night. The Aztecs (33-13, 5-3 Mountain West Conference) won the first game, 2-0, before taking the nightcap, 6-4.
After coming into the night with a .266 team batting average and eight homers through 44 games, SDSU exploded for a combined 17 hits and three home runs. In addition, the pitching staff combined to give up just two earned runs in 14 innings against a team that came into the weekend with 29 home runs in 34 games.
In the first game, San Diego State wasted no time putting pressure on New Mexico (20-16, 4-4 MWC) pitcher Kelly Ninemire (13-10) and the Lobo defense as its first three batters - sophomore Brittany Knudsen (San Diego, Calif./Escondido HS) (hit by pitch), senior Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.) (bunt single) and junior Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) (bunt single) - all reached to load the bases. The Aztecs would cash in with a run two batters later when sophomore Lindsey Marquez' (Tustin, Calif.) groundout to second base scored Wells from third, giving SDSU the early 1-0 lead.
The game would remain 1-0 until fourth when McDonald (Glendale, Ariz.) laced a two-out solo home run over the left field wall to stretch San Diego State's lead to 2-0.
Senior pitcher Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif.) ran into a bit of trouble in the fifth after loading the bases on two infield singles and a hit batter. Ross, however, got Sara Loeffelholz to pop up weakly to Aztec shortstop Jen Wisneski (Riverside, Calif.).
The Lobos once again put pressure on Ross and the SDSU defense in the seventh. Ashley Allen led off with a double and Kim Holyfield followed with an infield single to put two runners on with no outs. With the leadoff batter Samantha Hughes at the plate, Ross got her to ground to Wisneski who flipped it to Marquez at second, forcing Holyfield out on the play. Like she did in the fifth, Ross then got Loeffelholz to pop up to Wisneski, who doubled up Hughes at first with a hard throw to junior Erin Floros (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel HS).
Ross allowed six hits and two walks over seven innings to improve to 21-10 on the season. She struck out one en route to her 10th shutout of the season.
McCorkle led the way for the Aztecs with two of their six hits.
In the nightcap, SDSU broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the third inning. The runs came on a two-run double by Floros and McDonald's second homer of the night, a two-run shot well over the left field fence.
New Mexico rallied for two runs in its bottom half of the frame, thanks in part to an error by the San Diego State third baseman which allowed two runs to score. The Lobos' first run came on an RBI single by Loeffelholz which scored Hughes.
An RBI bloop single by freshman Samantha Beasley (San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) plated Floros in the fifth to put the Aztecs up, 5-3.
A solo homer by Knudsen in the sixth gave SDSU its final run of the game.
New Mexico added a late run in the seventh on a double by Lindsey Elcess that scored Loeffeholz.
Beasley started in the circle for San Diego State and allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk through 2 1/3 innings. Freshman Brooke Petty (San Diego, Calif./Vista HS) (6-2) pitched a strong 4 2/3 innings of relief for the Aztecs and gave up just one run on three hits. She struck out seven without a walk to pick up her sixth victory of the season. Ross picked up her second save of the season after striking out Katie Gilmore with a runner on second to end the game.
Knudsen led the San Diego State hit barrage with a 3-for-3 outing and two runs scored. Three others - Floros, McDonald and Beasley - added two hits apiece.
SDSU will continue its nine-game road trip with a single contest against MWC foe Colorado State on
NOTES: In the sixth inning of game one, LHP Christina Ross issued her first walk in 39 innings ... With two strikeouts tonight, Ross tied Celena Velasquez (2003-06) for second on the all-time list with 529 strikeouts ... C Megan McDonald launched a solo homer in the fourth inning of the first game and added a two-run shot in the third of the second. With 15 career home runs, she is now two shy of tying Erryn Gutjahr's school record mark of 17 set from 1996-99 ... With a run in the first inning of game one, CF Tamani Wells now has 99 career scores, three short of tying Sarah Hershman (1999-2002) for third on the all-time list at 102 ... Despite being just a sophomore, RF Brittany Knudsen hit her seventh career homer in the sixth inning of game two, tying her with four others for ninth on the career list ... The Aztecs scored a run in the first inning of the first game and are now 15-1 when scoring in the very first inning ... SDSU is also 29-2 when scoring first this season.