April 20, 2008
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The No. 22/24 San Diego State softball team had a season-high 13 hits in a 5-4 victory over Colorado State Sunday afternoon at Fort Collins, Colo. The Aztecs improved to 35-13 with their fifth consecutive victory and are now tied with Brigham Young for first in MWC play at 7-3.
Junior Christine Kulick (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) had a career-high three hits to lead the SDSU offense. Senior Megan McDonald (Glendale, Calif.) homered and added a single, while sophomore Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif.) (2-for-3, run), freshman Samantha Beasley (San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) (2-for-4, run, RBI) and freshman Jen Wisneski (2-for-3, RBI) each had two hits.
Senior Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif.) (23-10) picked up the win for the Aztecs after scattering two runs on six hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings. She also struck out five. Freshman Brooke Petty (San Diego, Calif./Vista HS) pitched the first 2 1/3 innings and struck out four, while allowing two runs on four hits and a walk.
Colorado State (23-18, 3-7 MWC) got on the scoreboard first when Lauren Cusick led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run over the center field fence on the 15th pitch of the at-bat.
SDSU responded with two runs in the second. Junior Erin Floros (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel HS) (walk) and McDonald (single) each reached base and were replaced by pinch-runners Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario (San Diego, Calif./Morse HS) and Katy Erickson (Tustin, Calif.), respectively. After Marquez moved each runner up a bag on a well-placed sacrifice bunt, Beasley plated Quichocho-Rosario with a hard groundout to second base. Kulick followed with an RBI double to deep center, giving San Diego State an early 2-1 lead.
The Rams tied the game in the third when Ashley Munoz singled home Cusick from second. With one out and two Colorado State runners on base, Ross replaced Petty in the circle. Ross got the Aztecs out of the inning by getting Rebecca Penland to line out to left and retiring Julia Kloppe on a fielder's choice groundout.
SDSU put two more on the board in the fourth. McDonald homered for the third time in four games, while Kulick singled home Beasley from second.
The Rams threatened again in their half of the fourth after getting two runners on with no outs. Ross, however, buckled down and struck out Ivory Allen, then got Cusick to line into a double play to shortstop Wisneski and Marquez at second.
San Diego State cashed in with another run in the sixth as Wisneski's single up the middle scored Marquez.
Shannon Causgrove brought Colorado State to within a run with a two-run pinch-hit homer in the sixth, but it wouldn't be enough as the Aztecs held onto the 5-4 victory.
SDSU continues its nine-game road trip this Thursday when it takes on Brigham Young in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. MT.