Feb. 19, 2015
Game 1: No. 4/3 OKLAHOMA 10, SDSU 1 (5 inn.) html | pdf
Game 2: No. 14/15 LSU 6, SDSU 1 html | pdf
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - The San Diego State softball team dropped a pair of games to top-15 teams Thursday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. The Aztecs (7-4), who are receiving votes in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball national poll, fell to No. 4/3 Oklahoma, 10-1, in five innings in the opener and to No. 14/15 LSU by a 6-1 score in the nightcap.
In the opener, the Sooners (10-2) scored four runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back en route to a 10-1 victory over SDSU. OU added a two-run third and a four-run fourth before San Diego State finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth.
In the Aztecs' fifth, junior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) reached on a one-out single to left-center field and moved to second on a groundout by senior Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS). Senior Lorena Bauer (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) followed with a single to left center for SDSU's lone run of the game.
Sophomore Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) also singled for San Diego State, which was outhit, 10-3, by OU.
Sophomore Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) took the loss after allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on nine hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings. She struck out five and hit two batters. Sophomore Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) pitched the final 1 1/3 innings and gave up just one hit.
In the nightcap, the Aztecs took a 1-0 lead after an inning, but the Tigers (12-0) scored the final six, highlighted by a grand slam in the fifth in the 6-1 win over SDSU.
San Diego State had gone up, 1-0, as senior Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.) reached on an error and moved to third on a single by Bauer, where Bauer also moved to second on the throw. Junior Kayla Bufardeci (Castro Valley, Calif.) did the same as Bauer to knock in Miles and put two runners in scoring position once again with one out. The Aztecs, however, followed with a popout to shortstop and a fielder's choice grounder to end the threat and leave all three runners on base.
LSU took the lead in the top of the third on a two-run single by Bailey Landry.
The score would remain 2-1 Tigers until the fifth when Sahvanna Jaquish hit a one-out grand slam off SDSU's Romero for the final runs of the game.
San Diego State had chances again, leaving two on in the fifth and bases loaded with no outs in the sixth, but was unable to get a run across the plate.
The Aztecs only had one less hit than LSU (7-6), but left a season-high 11 runners on base. SDSU was 4-for-18 (.222) in the game with runners on base, 3-for-13 (.231) with runners in scoring position and 0-for-5 with the bases loaded.
Junior Monica Downey (San Diego/Madison HS) was 2-for-2 to pace the San Diego State offense, while Bufardeci had the RBI single and drew a walk.
Romero (6-4) was saddled with her second loss of the night, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings. She struck out two. Cable entered in the fifth and surrendered two runs on three hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings, striking out two, while sophomore Andi Smith (Orangeville, Utah) pitched a scoreless seventh, yielding one walk.
The Aztecs look to get back on the winning track when they take on Nebraska at 5:30 p.m. PT Friday.
Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
Cathedral City, Calif.
February 19, 2015
Game 1: No. 4/3 Oklahoma 10, San Diego State 1 (5 innings)
Oklahoma (10-2) 402 40 -- 10 10 1
San Diego State 000 01 -- 1 3 2
Stevens and Ellis, Wodach (3); Romero, Cable (4) and Peres
W - Stevens, 3-0; L - Romero, 6-3
Game 2: No. 14/15 LSU 6, San Diego State 1
LSU (12-0) 002 040 0 -- 6 7 2
San Diego State (7-4) 100 000 0 -- 1 6 3
Corbello, Hoover (6) and Kloss; Romero, Cable (5), Smith (7)
W - Corbello, 4-0; L - Romero, 6-4
HR: LSU, Jaquish (4)