May 9, 2014
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SAN DIEGO -
Senior Patrice Jackson (Kansas City, Mo.) hit a two-out, walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth inning to score senior Katie Mathis (Grass Valley, Calif.) and sophomore Danielle O'Toole (Upland, Calif.) tossed her second straight shutout in San Diego State's 1-0 victory over Boise State Friday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The win gives the Aztecs (38-17, 15-8 MW) at least a share of the Mountain West title.
SDSU has now won three straight MW championships and seven in the 15 years of the league. San Diego State can clinch the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with another win vs. the Broncos (30-21, 14-9 MW) at 1 p.m. PT Saturday. Four other teams - BSU (14-9), Fresno State (14-9), UNLV (14-9) and Colorado State (13-9) - are within 1.5 games heading into tomorrow, but an Aztec win will negate all tiebreakers for the auto bid.
With two outs in the eighth, Mathis drew a four-pitch walk. Jackson then took a 0-1 pitch off the left-center field wall. Mathis raced all the way around the bases and beat the throw at the plate to give SDSU its third walk-off win of the year.
In a pitcher's duel between O'Toole (29-8) and Boise State's Rebecca Patton, San Diego State threatened for the first time in the sixth, loading the bases with one out. Patton (25-13), however, struck out Jackson swinging and got freshman Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) to ground into a fielder's choice to the Bronco shortstop Tara Glover, who forced Mathis out at second.
MacKenzie Whyte and Hailey Torrez had back-to-back one-out singles in the seventh for BSU and moved up a base on a groundout by Ashley Palmer. O'Toole got out of the jam by getting Brittany McCray to ground out to Cable at first base.
Boise State threatened again in the eighth as Lindsey Nicholson led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Makenna Weir. After Kayla Clausen flew out to Jackson in right field and Glover was intentionally walked, Jordan Kreiger hit a grounder to Aztec sophomore shortstop Monica Downey (San Diego/Madison HS), where Nicholson was called out via runner's interference.
SDSU didn't waste its next chance in the bottom of the eighth thanks to Jackson's heroics.
O'Toole continued her recent dominance with her second straight shutout. For the game, the left-hander allowed just four hits and a walk over eight scoreless innings, while striking out two. Over San Diego State's two games against the Broncos in the series, O'Toole is 2-0 with two shutouts over 15 innings. She has given up just six hits (all singles) and two walks, holding BSU to a .120 batting average.
On the other side, Patton gave up four hits and two walks over 7 2/3 innings, striking out two.
Mathis walked twice for the Aztecs, while senior Dominique Dinner (Monterey, Calif.), Downey, Jackson and Jordan had SDSU's hits.
Prior to the game, a special ceremony took place as the first dirt was moved for the team's new clubhouse and locker room.
San Diego State 1, Boise State 0 (8 innings)
Boise State (30-21, 14-9 MW) 000 000 00 -- 0 4 2
San Diego State (38-17, 15-8 MW) 000 000 01 -- 1 4 0
Patton and McCray; O'Toole and Dinner, Orlando (8)
W - O'Toole, 29-8; L - Patton, 25-13