April 13, 2013
UC Riverside 6, SDSU 5 html | pdf
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The San Diego State softball team dropped a tough 6-5 decision to UC Riverside Saturday afternoon in Riverside, Calif. The Aztecs, who are receiving votes in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, fell to 26-14 on the season, while the Highlanders improved to 16-24.
SDSU had taken a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning when junior Patrice Jackson (Kansas City, Mo.) belted a three-run homer over the center field fence. It was her team-leading 11th of the season.
UCR, however, answered with a two-run home run by Ashley Ercolano in the bottom of the fifth, a solo homer by Natalie Sanchez in the sixth and an RBI single by Ariel Shore in the sixth that scored Nicolette Lujan with the eventual game-winning score.
UC Riverside pitcher Sophie Slagle then retired San Diego State in order in the seventh to end the game.
Corder was 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and a run for the Aztecs, who outhit the Highlanders, 9-7. Senior Kristin May (Corona, Calif.) added two hits, while junior Lorena Bauer (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) was 1-for-1 with two walks and a run scored. Jackson had the three-run homer and drew a walk, and sophomore Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS) doubled and scored a run.
UCR got on the scoreboard first in the second when Brittanie Akey singled home Alexis Pickett.
SDSU tied the game in the third as freshman Monica Downey (San Diego/Madison HS) scored on a single by Corder.
Lujan took advantage of a San Diego State fielding error in the third to put UC Riverside up by a 2-1 margin.
The Aztecs tied it once again in the fourth when freshman Kayla Burfardeci's (Castro Valley, Calif.) single down the left field line plated Bauer with one out. SDSU, however, left two runners on in the inning after a groundout and a lineout.
That set up Jackson's three-run homer in the fifth and the Highlanders' four-run rally.
Senior right-hander Rebecca Arbino (Clovis, Calif.) took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings of relief. She had two strikeouts and is now 15-9 on the season. Freshman left-hander Danielle O'Toole (Upland, Calif.) pitched the first 2 1/3 innings and gave up one run on two hits and a walk.
San Diego State travels across town to play at San Diego at 6 p.m. PT Tuesday.
NOTES: The Aztecs dropped to 2-7 on the season in one-run games ... SDSU (19-1) also lost for the first time this year when leading after five innings ... Additionally, San Diego State fell to 26-7 when leading at any point in the game and 23-3 when it outhits its opponent ... C Kristin May had her ninth multi-hit game of the season, while 2B Tiffany Corder recorded her third ... RF Patrice Jackson had her seventh multi-RBI contest of the year ... Jackson's 11 home runs equal her 2012 total, which ties for the fourth most in a season ever by an Aztec ... Jackson did not have a home run as a freshman in 2010 (she redshirted the 2011 campaign) ... SDSU was 9-0 this year when Jackson homered until today ... San Diego State is now 16-4 in 2013 when it has at least one home run.
UC Riverside 6, San Diego State 5
San Diego State (26-14) 001 130 0 -- 5 9 2
UC Riverside (16-24) 011 022 x -- 6 7 1
O'Toole, Arbino (3) and Kr. May; Ercolano, Slagle (5) and Pickett
W - Slagle, 1-2; L - Arbino, 15-9
HR: San Diego State, Jackson (11); UC Riverside, Ercolano, Sanchez