May 6, 2010
It was a duel between the two best pitchers (based on ERA) in the MWC as SDSU junior Samantha Beasley (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) and BYU's Paige Affleck combined so strike out 21, while allowing just four hits. Beasley (24-8), who on Tuesday was named the MWC Pitcher of the Week for the league-leading eighth time, allowed two runs on two hits and two walks over seven innings. She had 12 strikeouts, her 11th double-digit strikeout game of the season and 22nd of her career. Affleck (27-8), meanwhile, was just as effective. She gave up one run on two hits over seven innings and struck out nine. Beasley got out of a big jam in the fourth when Brigham Young loaded the bases with no outs on two errors and a walk. The right-hander, however, struck out Cashjen Davis-Atagi, got Jessica Purcell-Fitu to ground in to a fielder's choice where J.C. Clayton was thrown out at home and struck out Delaney Willard to end the threat. Willard drove in all four runs in the Cougars' 4-0 win over San Diego State in the last meeting between the two teams on April 24. The Aztecs used that momentum in the fifth to get their first run. Sophomore Justeen Maeva (San Diego/Mira Mesa HS) led off with a single and was replaced at first base by senior Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario (San Diego/Morse HS). Quichocho-Rosario advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by junior Eva Sahatdjian (Fresno, Calif.) and a single by redshirt senior Monica Alnes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.). Freshman Patrice Jackson (Kansas City, Mo.) followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center field to put SDSU up, 1-0. The lead was short-lived as BYU answered in the sixth. Clayton broke up Beasley's no-hitter with a leadoff single. One batter later, Ramirez took a 0-2 pitch over the left-center field wall for the game-winning two-run homer. The two runs snapped Beasley's scoreless streak at 20 innings. SDSU tried to tie it up in the bottom of the seventh when senior Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) reached on an error and moved to second on a groundout by Maeva. Affleck, however, retired the final two batters she faced on a lineout (Sahatdjian) and groundout (Alnes) to seal the win for Brigham Young. San Diego State plays host to Utah tomorrow (Friday) at 6 p.m. PT. Brigham Young 2, San Diego State 1 |
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