April 10, 2010
SAN DIEGO -
Junior Jen Wisneski (Riverside, Calif.) capped a five-run fifth inning with a two-run homer to lead the San Diego State softball team to an 8-0 run-rule victory over Colorado State Saturday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs, who are receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball national polls, improved to 24-10 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West Conference, while the Rams, who had votes in both polls two weeks ago, dropped to 22-13 and 0-2.
Four of SDSU's five runs in the fifth came with two outs, with one of the outs coming when sophomore Justeen Maeva's (San Diego/Mira Mesa HS/Cal State Bakersfield) groundout scored senior Brittany Knudsen. Following a walk and stolen base by junior Jessica Camello (Temecula, Calif.), junior Eva Sahatdjian (Fresno, Calif.) laced a pinch-hit double into right field that scored two runs to put San Diego State up, 6-0. Wisneski ended the game with her third home run of the season and fourth of her career over the centerfield wall.
The Aztecs got on the scoreboard in the first inning on an RBI single by Camello that scored redshirt senior Monica Alnes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.).
In the third, sophomore Felicia Reifschneider (San Diego/Morse HS) led off with her second walk of the night and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Knudsen. After just missing a homer down the left field line on a long foul ball, Alnes took a 0-2 pitch the opposite way down the right field line for an RBI double.
SDSU also scored a run in the fourth when Camello, who led off with an infield single, scored all the way from first base on a throwing error by the CSU shortstop.
Camello was 2-for-2 with two runs, an RBI, a walk and a stolen base, while Alnes was 2-for-2 with an RBI, a run and a walk.
The runs were plenty for San Diego State junior Samantha Beasley (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS), who regrouped after an uncharacteristic wild first inning where she allowed a hit and a walk, and threw a wild pitch. With runners on second and third and one out, Beasley struck out Rebecca Penland and Allison Majam to get out of the jam.
For the game, Beasley (19-6) allowed four hits and a walk over five scoreless innings, while striking out nine of the 19 batters she faced. Beasley, who was not chosen as one of the 2010 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists despite ranking in the top-10 in the nation in three categories and in the top-25 in four others, stretched her career-long scoreless streak to 35 innings. The right-hander also passed Celena Velasquez (2003-06) and moved into third place on the school's all-time list with 534. Only Christina Ross (2006-08) (612) and Sandra Durazo (1998-01) (543) have more strikeouts.
The Aztecs play host to Colorado State at 1 p.m. PT Sunday in a game that will be broadcast live by CBS College Sports.
NOTES: SDSU improved to 22-0 when outhitting its opponent ... San Diego State is 20-2 when it scores first and 10-1 when it scores in the first inning ... The Aztecs are 21-0 when leading after five innings and a remarkable 23-4 when scoring at least two runs ... CF Brittany Knudsen hit her 34th career double, which is tied with Erryn Gutjahr (1996-99) and Kellie Nordhagen (1999-02) for the most in school history ... Knudsen also moved into a tie for second place with 126 career runs (Nordhagen) ... 1B Monica Alnes is fourth with 32 career doubles ... RHP Samantha Beasley now owns the second-best career win percentage at .661 (41-21) ... She needs just nine strikeouts to tie Sandra Durazo (543, 1998-01) for second on the all-time list.
San Diego State 8, Colorado State 0 (5 innings) Colorado State (22-13, 0-2 MWC) 000 00 -- 0 4 2 San Diego State (24-10, 2-0 MWC)101 15 -- 8 7 0 O'Brien, Penland (5) and Munoz; Beasley and Kr. May Win: Beasley (19-6); Loss: O'Brien (3-4) HR: Wisneski (SDSU) (3)