April 30, 2009
SAN DIEGO -
Andrea Hoffman hit a three-run, two-out home run in the top of the seventh inning to lift the Utah softball team to a 3-2 victory over San Diego State Thursday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The loss dropped the Aztecs to 31-16 and 8-3 in the Mountain West Conference, while the Utes improved to 20-27 and 2-6.
After a foulout and groundout by Whitney Holm and Tori Medina to begin the final inning, Hannah Clements won an eight-pitch battle with SDSU freshman Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) with a single to second base. Following a walk to Tia Palauni, Hoffman drove the 1-1 pitch well over the left field wall to give Utah its only lead of the game.
San Diego State tried to rally in the bottom of the frame, beginning with junior Brittany Knudsen's (San Diego/Escondido HS) third hit of the game. Freshman Felicia Reifschneider (San Diego/Morse HS) followed with hard-hit ball up the middle that was somehow stopped by a diving Sharee Fonoti at shortstop and tossed to Jasey Jensen at second for the forceout on Knudsen. Senior All-American Erin Floros (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS), who had singled twice and doubled in her previous three plate appearances, followed with a hard grounder to Whitney Holm at third. Holm, however, got the ball in time to second to get Reifschneider for the second out. A grounder to second by redshirt senior Taryin Casillas (San Diego/Grossmont HS) ended the game at 3-2 in favor of the Utes.
The loss ended Micetich's (17-5) winning streak at a school-record 15 games. It was the first loss by the Aztecs this season when outhitting their opponent (25-1) and leading after five innings (22-1).
Micetich had pitched well up to the last inning, yielding just two hits and a walk over her first 6 2/3 frames. For the game, Micetich gave up three runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out eight. Eighty-six of her 113 pitches went for strikes.
SDSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the first coming on an RBI single by Floros that plated Knudsen. Reifschneider scored the second on a throwing error by Utah catcher Hoffman.
Knudsen was 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored to lead the San Diego State offense, which left eight on base, including bases loaded opportunities in the third and fourth innings. Floros accounted for the other three hits for the Aztecs, including a double to lead off the fifth. Senior Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) and Casillas each had their hitting streaks stopped at 13 and 10 games, respectively.
SDSU welcomes MWC-leading Brigham Young (35-14, 8-0 MWC) for a single game at 6 p.m. Friday followed by a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.