Feb. 8, 2009
LOS ANGELES -
The No. 25 San Diego State softball team dropped a pair of games Sunday on the final day of the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament in Los Angeles. After falling to Cal Poly, 7-3, earlier in the day, the Aztecs (2-2) suffered a 6-2 setback to fourth-ranked and tourney host UCLA on a grand slam in the ninth inning during the international tiebreaker.
The game-winning home run came after SDSU sophomore Samantha Beasley (San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) threw a wild pitch during the tiebreaker and then had to intentionally walk two straight batters to create a force out at any base. The Bruins' (3-1) Kaila Shull then took a 0-2 pitch deep over the centerfield fence to keep San Diego State winless in 47 games against UCLA.
SDSU appeared to take the lead in the top of the fifth inning when junior Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario (San Diego, Calif./Morse HS) scored from third on a sacrifice fly by redshirt junior Monica Alnes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.). However, UCLA appealed to the third base umpire Katrina Kershaw, who stated that Quichocho-Rosario left third early resulting in an automatic out. The double play and subsequent flyout by senior Christine Kulick (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) ended an inning that started with bases loaded and no outs, thanks to a single by senior All-American Erin Floros (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel HS) and a pair of Bruin errors.
The game would remain scoreless through the regular seven innings until the international tiebreaker came into play in the beginning of the eighth frame. San Diego State struck first with a pair of runs. The first came after sophomore Traci Wolf (Lancaster, Calif.) scored when Alnes reached on a Bruin fielding error. Then, after junior Katy Erickson (Tustin, Calif.) replaced Alnes at second, Kulick singled up the middle to plate Erickson.
Andrea Harrison tied the game up for UCLA in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer on a 2-2 pitch that scored Grace Murray.
After the Aztecs failed to score in their top of the ninth, Bruin GiOnna DiSalvatore was placed at second and moved to third on Beasley's wild pitch. With no outs, SDSU elected to create a force play with UCLA's No. 4 and No. 5 hitters on deck and in the hole. Following the intentional walks, Shull ended the game with the grand slam.
San Diego State freshman pitcher Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) bounced back from a tough outing earlier in the day to toss five scoreless innings as the starter. She allowed just four hits and a walk, while striking out one. Beasley (1-1) took the loss after giving up six runs (four earned) on three hits and two walks (both intentional). She struck out three over three innings of relief.
In the first game, SDSU fell to Cal Poly (2-2), 7-3.
SDSU returns to San Diego this weekend when it plays host to the Campbell-Cartier Classic. San Diego State kicks off its play with a game against Utah State at 7 p.m. Thursday.