April 22, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY -
The San Diego State softball team scored twice in the top of the seventh inning, but was unable to get the tying run across the plate in a 3-2 loss at Utah Thursday in Salt Lake City. The Aztecs, who are receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball national poll, dropped to 26-11 overall and 4-1 in the Mountain West Conference, while the Utes evened their record to 21-21 and 3-3.
After being held scoreless for the first six innings, freshman Kristin May (Corona, Calif.) brought SDSU to within a run in the seventh when she hit a two-run homer over the left-center field fence. The home run, her second of the season and the team's fourth consecutive game with a homer, scored junior Jessica Camello (Temecula, Calif.), who led off the frame with an infield single.
Utah pitcher Ashley Smuda, however, settled down and retired freshman Kamerin May (Corona, Calif.) (groundout), junior Eva Sahatdjian (Fresno, Calif.) (groundout) and junior Jen Wisneski (Riverside, Calif.) (strikeout) in succession to end the game.
The Utes scored all three of their runs in the first inning on four hits, highlighted by Joni Cook's two-out, two-run single off San Diego State sophomore starter Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.). A double by Kelsi Hoopiiaina plated leadoff hitter Brooke Olson with the first run of the game.
Junior Samantha Beasley (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) replaced Micetich in the second and held Utah to a pair of singles over five scoreless innings of relief. She struck out six with no walks to lower her conference ERA to 0.24. Beasley, who hasn't allowed a run in 15 innings, is now 16-1 with a 0.52 ERA since Feb. 27 (108 1/3 innings).
Sophomore Felicia Reifschneider (San Diego/Morse HS) singled twice for the Aztecs, who lost for the first time this season when outhitting their opponent (24-1). Senior Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) singled to stretch her hitting streak to a career-high tying nine games, while sophomore Justeen Maeva (San Diego/Mira Mesa HS/Cal State Bakersfield) and Wisneski joined Kristin May and Camello with solo hits.
Winners of 18 of its last 21 games, SDSU will continue its four-game road trip Friday (6 p.m. MT) at Brigham Young.
Utah 3, San Diego State 2 San Diego State (26-11, 4-1 MWC) 000 000 2 -- 2 7 0 Utah (21-21, 3-3 MWC) 300 000 x -- 3 6 1 Micetich, Beasley (2) and Kr. May; Smuda and Olson Win: Smuda (18-10); Loss: Micetich (2-5) HR: Kr. May (SDSU) (2)