March 15, 2014
Final Stats vs. UTA | Final Stats vs. LBSU | Photo Gallery
SDSU-UTA Box Score in PDF Format | SDSU-LBSU Box Score in PDF Format
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team enjoyed a successful start to its final home tournament of the regular season on Friday at the San Diego Classic II, rallying for a 4-3 triumph over UT Arlington, before posting a 5-0 shutout of Long Beach State in the nightcap.
Sophomore pitcher Danielle O'Toole collected both victories, including a sparkling relief effort in the opener, while a pair of freshman Sydnee Cable and Frankie Orlando stood out at the plate for the Aztecs, who raised their record to 18-7 on the season. Cable combined for four hits and a run scored on the day, while Orlando finished with three hits of her own to go with three RBI.
Against UTA in game one, SDSU drew first blood in the top of the third inning when senior Katie Mathis legged out a triple on a deep smash to right center and scored shortly thereafter on fellow classmate Patrice Jackson's sacrifice fly.
The run stood up until the bottom of the fifth when the Mavericks tallied three markers on just two hits off Aztec starter Erica Romero. Rebecca Stokes led off with a base hit and quickly advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and passed ball, respectively, while Kacey Everett soon followed with an RBI single to left. After a walk to Holly Murphree, freshman Andi Smith took over for the Scarlet and Black in the circle, but promptly issued a base on balls to Meagan Michele to load the bases.
The Mavericks then plated two runs on a pair of ground balls which never left the infield to grab a 3-1 lead. O'Toole, who replaced Smith after just one batter, got JoJo Schaefer on a swinging third strike for the final out to prevent further damage.
The Aztecs quickly got the two runs back in the top of the sixth when Orlando smacked a towering double to center, scoring junior Hayley Miles and sophomore pinch runner Victoria Kobold. Previously, Cable led off with a single and was replaced by Kobold, while Miles followed with another base hit to left as both runners soon advanced on a groundout.
The score remained deadlocked at 3-3 until the top of the seventh when SDSU, the designated away team in this contest, broke through with the go-ahead run with two outs. Interspersed with a groundout and fly ball, junior Kayla Jordan and Cable each got aboard with singles, while Miles drew a walk to load the bases. Then sophomore Kayla Bufardeci tapped a grounder back to UTA pitcher Brittany May, who was unable to field the ball cleanly, allowing Jordan to race home with the eventually game-winner as O'Toole retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame.
O'Toole struck out three and ceded just one hit in 2.2 innings of work to pick up the win, while May (1-2) went the distance, yielding all four runs on 10 hits and two walks in the loss.
As the starter in game two, O'Toole came out and scattered six hits and two walks to help raise her record to 14-3 on the season.
SDSU scored single runs in each of the first three innings, respectively, on a Jordan RBI single and sacrifice flies by Jackson and Orlando.
The 49ers put two runners aboard in both the fifth and sixth innings but came up empty on both occasions. The Aztecs promptly made LBSU pay with a pair of insurance runs in the bottom half of the six as Miles and Jordan each drew bases-loaded walks to give the game its 5-0 final.
Starter Erin Jones-Wesley (9-4) was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs on six hits and two walks before giving way to relievers Ariana Erceg and Selene Pola.
SDSU will be back in action for day two of the SDSU Classic II, squaring off against UT Arlington once again at 4:30 p.m., followed by a clash with Harvard at 7.