Feb. 20, 2009
Game 1: Kentucky 6, San Diego State 4
Final Stats: html | pdf
Game 2: San Diego State 2, UConn 0
Final Stats: html | pdf
LAFAYETTE, La. -
Sophomore Samantha Beasley (San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) tossed a one-hitter and senior Christine Kulick (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) homered to lift the San Diego State softball team to a 2-0 victory over Connecticut Friday afternoon at the Mardi Gras Classic in Lafayette, La. The win for the Aztecs (5-6), who are playing the weekend without senior All-American Erin Floros (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel HS) (appendicitis), followed a 6-4 loss to Kentucky earlier in the day.
In the second game, Kulick broke open a scoreless contest in the fifth inning with her first career home run. Husky (0-1) pitcher Tricia Sullivan had managed to no-hit the Aztecs until Kulick laced the 1-1 pitch over the right-center field wall.
Redshirt junior Sydney Fleming (Oakland, Calif.) followed with a single and was replaced at first base by junior Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario (San Diego, Calif./Morse HS). After Quichocho-Rosario moved to second on sophomore Jen Wisneski's (Riverside, Calif.) sacrifice bunt and a SDSU strikeout, junior Brittany Knudsen (San Diego, Calif./Escondido HS) made it 2-0 with an RBI single through the left side.
The two runs would be plenty for Beasley (3-3), who allowed just one hit, a two-out single by Julianne Towers in the fifth, over seven innings. She struck out eight, walked two and hit a pair of batters.
In the first game, the Wildcats (4-2) pounded out nine hits and took advantage of three San Diego State errors in a 6-4 triumph.
Senior Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) and redshirt senior Dani Sidoti (Tucson, Ariz.) each picked up two hits apiece to lead the Aztec offense, which had eight hits of their own. Kulick doubled and tied her career high with two runs scored.
Kentucky jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Samantha Demartine's bloop single scored Megan Yocke. Yocke had led off the frame with a double to right-center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Molly Johnson. Following a walk, a strikeout and another walk, SDSU's Beasley got out of the inning by getting Meagan Aull to pop up to sophomore catcher Traci Wolf (Lancaster, Calif.), leaving the bases loaded.
San Diego State bounced back in its bottom half, thanks to a pair of costly errors by Kentucky second baseman Natalie Smith. Wolf led off with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by redshirt junior Monica Alnes (Palos Verdes, Calif.). Wolf then scored from second when Kulick's grounder went through Smith's legs. Wisneski switched places with Kulick as her grounder bounced off Smith's left foot, giving the Aztecs a 2-1 advantage after two innings.
The Wildcats put a two-spot of their own in the third as Brittany Cervantes scored from second on a fielding error by Wolf and Demartine followed with an RBI single to score Johnson.
SDSU once again answered in its bottom half of the inning when Sidoti laced a single to left field to score McCorkle.
San Diego State then took the lead back in the fourth on an RBI double by sophomore Jessica Camello (Temecula, Calif.). It appeared the Aztecs would leave a runner stranded as Kulick led off the frame with a double down the right field line and stayed there after back-to-back outs (Wisneski strikeout and Knudsen groundout). Camello, however, came through on a 0-2 pitch with a double to left field.
In the fifth, Kentucky exploded for three runs, all coming on a triple by Johnson with two runners on base. Johnson drilled the 2-2 pitch off the right field fence and scored on a throwing error by Camello to make it 6-4, Wildcats.
SDSU was unable to mount a comeback and fell for the fourth consecutive game.
Freshman Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) (2-3) took the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits over five innings of relief. Beasley started the game and gave up two runs on three hits and two walks over two innings of work.
The Aztecs continue their play in the Mardi Gras Classic with two games on Saturday. SDSU will take on No. 20/18 and host Louisiana at noon CT, before meeting the Huskies once again at 7:30 p.m. CT.