Feb. 9, 2012
TEMPE, Ariz. -
Sophomore Lorena Klopp (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) homered and redshirt sophomore Patrice Jackson (Kansas City, Mo.) drove in two runs, but it wasn't enough for the San Diego State softball team in a 5-4 loss to Texas Tech on Thursday at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The loss snapped an 11-game win streak for the Aztecs (0-1) in season-opening games and it was just the second loss in a season opener by 16th-year head coach Kathy Van Wyk (14-2, .875).
Both teams are receiving votes in both national polls.
Klopp continued where she left off last year when she took the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the second inning and drilled it over the center field wall. It was the 16th career home run for the sophomore, just one short of tying Megan McDonald (2005-08) and Erryn Gutjahr (1996-99) for the all-time program record.
Klopp's homer tied the game up at 1-1 after the Red Raiders (1-0) got on the scoreboard first in the second on Sandy James' solo home run. TTU took another lead in the top of third when Melisa Ryba homered.
SDSU came back in the bottom half of the third as senior Ashley Rose (Antioch, Calif.) singled and sophomore Katie Mathis (Grass Valley, Calif.) walked to put two runners on with no outs. Both players were replaced by pinch runners Roshana Lavery (San Diego, Calif./Mission Bay HS) and Tiffany Corder (San Clemente, Calif./UC Santa Barbara) and sophomore Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.) followed with a walk to load the bases. Each runner moved up a base on a wild pitch and Lavery scored to tie the game at 2-2. After a strikeout and a groundout, Jackson laced a single to right field that scored Corder and Miles to put San Diego State up, 4-2.
Texas Tech, however, rallied with a run each in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning,for the 5-4 win.
Klopp led the Aztec offense with two hits, while Miles singled and drew two walks. Jackson reached twice with a single and a walk.
Junior Kamerin May (Corona, Calif.) took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks over seven innings. She had a career-high six strikeouts in the complete game.
SDSU continues its play in the Kajikawa Classic tomorrow (Friday) with games against Portland State (9 a.m. MT) and Utah (11:30 a.m. MT).
Kajikawa Classic - Tempe, Ariz.
February 9, 2012
(rv/rv) Texas Tech 5, (rv/rv) San Diego State 4
Texas Tech (1-0) 011 111 0 -- 5 8 0
San Diego State (0-1) 013 000 0 -- 4 5 0
Talley, Custer (3) and Allen; Ka. May and Kr. May.
W - Custer, 1-0; L - Ka. May, 0-1
HR: Texas Tech, James 2 (2), Ryba (1); San Diego State, Klopp (1)