Feb. 25, 2009
SAN DIEGO -
Sophomore Samantha Beasley (San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) struck out a career-high 11 batters and classmate Jessica Camello (Temecula, Calif.) went 3-for-3 with the game-winning run to lift the San Diego State softball team to a 1-0 victory over San Diego Wednesday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (6-8) improved to 46-2 all-time against the Toreros (1-9).
Beasley (4-4), who was named the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, earned the win after striking out 11 of the 13 batters she faced, including eight consecutive to end the game, over 4 1/3 innings of perfect relief. Thirty-nine of Beasley's 54 pitches (72.2 percent) were for strikes as the righthander did not give up a walk for the first time since the season-opener versus Pacific on Feb. 7.
SDSU used three clutch two-out singles in the second inning to get the lone run of the game. Camello, whose three hits tied her career high (Portland State, 2/10/08), got the inning going when she singled down the left field line. Redshirt junior Monica Alnes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) followed with a single up the middle to move Camello to second base. Redshirt junior Sydney Fleming (Oakland, Calif.), making just her second career start at catcher, then came through with a single to score Camello with the game-winner.
San Diego threatened to tie the game in the third when it loaded the bases with two outs against San Diego State freshman starter Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) on a Danielle Duhart single, Taylor Hensley walk and Celeste Soto intentional walk. Beasley, however, replaced Micetich and got Lindsay Fleet to strike out looking on a 3-2 count to end the inning.
Beasley, who struck out a then career-high 10 last season against the Toreros and hit a grand slam at the plate, went on to strike out two in the fourth, two in the fifth, and the side in each of the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
Micetich logged three strikeouts, and allowed three hits and three walks, in 2 2/3 innings as the starter.
Alnes (2-for-2) joined Camello with a perfect day at the plate, while junior Brittany Knudsen (San Diego, Calif./Escondido HS) drew a walk in her sixth straight game.
The Aztecs will begin their play in the San Diego Classic I Friday when they take on Pac-10 foe Oregon at 7 p.m. at SDSU Softball Stadium