Feb. 11, 2010
TEMPE, Ariz. -
Freshman Kristin May (Corona, Calif.) hit a walkoff two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the San Diego State softball team a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over Creighton Thursday at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The Aztecs (1-0), who are receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason polls, won their 10th consecutive season-opening game.
SDSU rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a run in the third, two more scores in the fourth and then the dramatic two-run homer by May in the seventh.
The decisive inning began when redshirt senior Monica Alnes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) doubled to center field off Bluejay (0-1) pitcher Tara Oltman and was replaced at second by junior Traci Wolf (Lancaster, Calif.). Following a strikeout by Oltman, May drove the first pitch she saw over the left field fence for the game-winner. It was the third time in the past five seasons that a San Diego State freshman has homered in her first game (Erin Floros - 2006, Brittany Knudsen - 2007).
Creighton, which is also receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA poll, took advantage of some shaky Aztec fielding in the early going to jump out to a 3-0 lead. In the top of the first, its first two runners singled and advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Renae Sinkler. Michelle Koch then slapped a bunt that scored Liz McKewon and, after a throwing error by San Diego State, Jessi Jadlowski. Two innings later, the Bluejays tacked on another when McKewon scored on an Aztec fielding miscue.
SDSU tied the game over the next two innings, thanks in part to four Creighton errors. In the third, Alnes singled to center to score Felicia Reifschneider (San Diego/Morse HS). In the fourth, senior Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario (San Diego/Morse HS) scored on a pinch-hit RBI groundout by freshman Kamerin May (Corona, Calif.) and junior Jessica Camello (Temecula, Calif.) tied it on a Reifschneider infield single.
The score stayed at 3-3 until Kristin May ended the game on one swing.
Alnes had a game-high two hits to pace the offense, while Reifschneider and freshman Patrice Jackson (Kansas City, Mo.) each singled and drew a walk.
Redshirt sophomore Brooke Petty (San Diego/Vista HS) and junior Samantha Beasley (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) combined to hold the Bluejays to just two hits over seven innings. Petty, making her first start since 2008 after redshirting the 2009 season, got the start and surrendered three runs (one earned) on two hits and two hit batters over three innings. She struck and three without a walk.
Beasley (1-0), meanwhile, recovered after getting off to a wild start. Beasley, who entered in the top of the fifth with the game tied at 3-3, allowed a leadoff walk to Jadlowski and, after a passed ball, another walk to Sinkler. She then got Koch to pop out to San Diego State shortstop Jen Wisneski (Riverside, Calif.), Jadlowski out at home on a failed double-steal attempt (catcher Eva Sahatdjian to second baseman Camello and back to Sahatdjian) and Michelle Graner out on a swinging strikeout. She settled down nicely, even striking out the rare four batters in the seventh. For the game, Beasley struck out six, while walking two over three innings of relief, to earn her the victory.
The Aztecs will resume their play in the Kajikawa Classic Friday, playing fellow 2009 NCAA tournament foes Kentucky (9 a.m. MT/8 a.m. PT) and Purdue (11:30 a.m. MT/10:30 a.m. PT).