May 2, 2008
| Game 1 Highlights Game 1 Stats: No. 19/21 SDSU 2, Colorado State 1 | Game 2 Highlights Game 2 Stats: No. 19/21 SDSU 3, Colorado State 2 |
SAN DIEGO -
Game 1: No. 19/21 SDSU 2, Colorado State 1
Game 2: No. 19/21 SDSU 3, Colorado State 2
The No. 19/21 San Diego State softball team rode the arms of senior Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif.) and freshman Samantha Beasley (San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS), the bats of senior Tamani Wells (Concord, Calif.) and freshman Jen Wisneski (Riverside, Calif.) and used a bit of luck in a two-game sweep over Colorado State Friday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. With the 2-1 and 3-2 victories, the Aztecs (39-15) are now 11-5 in Mountain West Conference play and just a ½ game behind first-place Brigham Young's 11-4 league record.
SDSU outhit the Rams (24-21, 4-10 MWC), 15-7, over the doubleheader, led by Wells and Wisneski's three hits apiece. Ross (26-12) went 2-0 with 11 strikeouts over nine innings, while Beasley recorded eight in five innings of work.
In the first game, sophomore Brittany Knudsen (San Diego, Calif./Escondido HS) scored from second base on a throwing error by the Colorado State second baseman in the bottom of the seventh to give San Diego State the thrilling 2-1 win.
Knudsen had singled through the left side with one out and moved to second on Wells' groundout. Junior Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) then grounded to second where Robyn Mack undershot Julie Kloppe at first. With the commotion, Knudsen raced around third and scored before the Rams were able to make a play.
The Aztecs had taken a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Wisneski tripled down the right field line and scored on a single by Wells. It was Wisneski's second hit of the game.
Colorado State, however, tied the game in the top of the seventh, thanks in part to two uncharacteristic errors by the SDSU defense. The run came as Shannon Causgrove doubled home Kayla Kreutzman with one out.
Ross went the distance for San Diego State, allowing just one unearned run on four hits. She struck out nine and issued just one walk.
In the nightcap, the Aztecs rallied from a 2-1 deficit with back-to-back runs in the fifth and sixth to come away with the 3-2 triumph.
Sophomore Katy Erickson (Tustin, Calif.) scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch. It was her heads-up running, however, that led to opportunity for the deciding play. After replacing senior Megan McDonald (Glendale, Ariz.) at first after a single, Beasley stroked a single to center. Erickson rounded second and kept on running to third where she beat the tag applied by Lauren Cusick. She would score two pitches later on the wild throw.
Junior Erin Floros (San Diego, Calif.) singled home Wells in the first to put SDSU up, 1-0, early.
The Rams answered with a two-run double by Rebecca Penland in the fourth to take their first lead of the night.
In the fifth, Wells' second RBI single of the day plated Wisneski with the equalizer, setting up Erickson' heroics in the sixth.
Wells and Floros each singled twice to lead the San Diego State offense, which outhit Colorado State, 9-3, in the game.
Beasley tossed the first five innings for the Aztecs and gave up two runs on three hits. She struck out eight Rams and did not give up a walk. Ross struck out two in a pair of perfect innings of relief en route to her second win of the night and 26th of the season.
SDSU plays host to New Mexico at 1 p.m. Saturday.