May 19, 2012
LOS ANGELES -
SDSU 1, No. 20/20 FLORIDA STATE 0
Senior pitcher Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) had a career-high 14 strikeouts to lead the San Diego State softball team to a 1-0 victory over No. 20/20 Florida State Saturday night at the NCAA Los Angeles Regional. The Aztecs (32-23) advance to Sunday's regional final for the second straight year and will have to beat Hofstra twice to move on to the NCAA Super Regionals.
Micetich (17-7) allowed five hits (four singles) and no walks over seven innings. The 14 strikeouts were the fourth most in a game in program history and most in any NCAA tournament contest. It was the second straight day she shut out the Seminoles (47-16) by a 1-0 margin.
In her two appearances in the tournament this season, Micetich is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 14 innings. She has 21 strikeouts against just one walk, while limiting the opposition to a .176 average. In eight career NCAA tournament appearances, the right-hander is 3-2 with a 1.72 ERA over 36 2/3 innings. She has 32 strikeouts and four walks.
SDSU got its run in the bottom of the fourth in a crazy inning that featured three illegal pitches by FSU pitcher Jessica Nori, two Florida State errors, a hit batter, a second intentional walk of the game to sophomore Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.) and three San Diego State runners left on base for the second consecutive inning. The run came when redshirt junior Roshana Lavery (San Diego/Mission Bay HS) scored from second base on a chopper by senior Ashley Rose (Antioch, Calif.) that was misplayed by Nori.
The Aztecs had a chance to take a lead in the bottom of the third after loading the bases with one out. Senior Felicia Reifschneider (San Diego/Morse HS) reached on an error that got her all the way to second base. Florida State pitcher Lacey Waldrop then intentionally walked Miles and walked freshman Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS) on a 3-2 count before being replaced in the circle by Nori. SDSU, however, couldn't take advantage as senior Justeen Maeva (San Diego/Mira Mesa HS) reached on a fielder's choice grounder to second baseman Tiffany Brown that got Reifschneider out at home. Redshirt sophomore Patrice Jackson (Kansas City, Mo.) then struck out looking to end the threat.
The Seminoles' best chance to score came in the fourth. After retiring seven straight batters, Micetich allowed a two-out triple to Courtney Senas. The right-hander got out of the jam by striking out Briana Hamilton, FSU's leading home run hitter, and keeping the shutout intact.
San Diego State only had one hit in the game, a one-out single by sophomore Lorena Klopp (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) in the second inning, but still left seven on base. Miles drew the two intentional walks, Jordan had the other walk and Reifschneider was hit by a pitch.
Earlier in the day, the Aztecs lost to the Pride (40-13), 2-0, behind 12 strikeouts by Olivia Galati. The same two teams get things underway at noon PT Sunday with the winner (SDSU has to win twice, Hofstra just once) advancing to play the Florida-South Florida winner in a NCAA Super Regionals contest next weekend.
2012 NCAA Division I Softball Championship
Regionals - Double-Elimination
Easton Stadium - Los Angeles, Calif.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Game 1: San Diego State 1, No. 20/20 Florida State 0
Game 2: Hofstra 7, No. 15/14 UCLA 2
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Game 3: Hofstra 2, San Diego State 0
Game 4: No. 20/20 Florida State 2, No. 15/14 UCLA 1
Game 5: San Diego State 1, No. 20/20 Florida State 0
Florida State (47-16) 000 000 0 -- 0 5 3
San Diego State (32-23) 000 100 x -- 1 1 0
Waldrop, Nori (3), Perry (4) and Gomez; Micetich and Kr. May
W - Micetich, 17-7; L - Nori, 4-4
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Game 6, Noon PT: Hofstra vs. San Diego State
*Game 7, 2:30 p.m. PT: *If necessary