Feb. 7, 2015
Game 1: No. 25/24 Texas A&M 9, SDSU 5 html | pdf
Game 2: SDSU 2, Purdue 1 html | pdf
LOS ANGELES - Freshman Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) hit a pinch-hit, walkoff two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the San Diego State softball team a 2-1 victory over Purdue Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. The win gave the Aztecs (3-1) a split on the day after falling to No. 25/24 Texas A&M, 9-5, in the opener.
Stewart's dramatic hit was the first of her career in her first official at-bat (she drew a walk in her first plate appearance yesterday vs. Idaho State) and it came on a 0-2 count with two outs.
Sophomore Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) led off the inning with a walk and junior Victoria Kobold (Concord, Calif.) replaced her at first base. Junior Kayla Bufardeci (Castro Valley, Calif.) followed with a single through the left side and was replaced by freshman Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.). After back-to-back strikeouts, Stewart took a 0-2 pitch to left field to score both Kobold and Meshack and give SDSU its second win over the Boilermakers (0-3) in as many days.
Junior Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.) and freshman Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) had the other hits for San Diego State, while senior Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.) drew two walks.
Not to be missed in the Aztecs' comeback was the pitching of sophomores Andi Smith (Orangeville, Utah) and Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.). The duo combined for a one-hitter, which was a solo home run by Kaylah Hampton just inside the right field foul pole with one out in the sixth. Smith got the start and tossed three hitless innings, allowing five walks and a hit batter, while striking out two.
Romero (2-1) then pitched the final four innings, giving up just the one homer. She struck out five without issuing a walk. In 11 innings against PU, Romero went 2-0 with just one run allowed (0.64 ERA) off four hits (.121 average).
In the opener, SDSU had a 5-1 lead after a four-run top of the second inning, but the Aggies (2-1) scored the final eight runs of the game in the 9-5 victory.
San Diego State struck first in the top of the first as senior Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS) doubled down the right field line and moved to third on a wild pitch. Junior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) followed with a single up the middle.
TAMU tied it in the bottom half when Ashley Waters drew a bases loaded walk.
The Aztecs got their big four-run second on two hits, two walks and a hit by pitch. Camello first knocked in Kobold with a single down the left field line. Junior Monica Downey (San Diego/Madison HS) followed with a groundout to the third baseman, which plated Peres. After Jordan drew a four-pitch walk, Ruiz doubled to center field to plate both Camello and Jordan.
Texas A&M, however, scored one in the second and third, four in the fourth, highlighted by a three-run homer by Breanna Dozier, and two more in the fifth for the 9-5 win.
Ruiz led the SDSU offense with three hits and three RBI's, while Jordan was 2-for-3 with two runs and a walk. Camello added a single, RBI, run and a walk, while Cable reached base safely twice via single and a walk.
Romero took the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and five walks over four innings. She struck out three. Cable pitched the final two frames for San Diego State, yielding two runs (one earned) on three hits.
The Aztecs wrap up the SoCal Collegiate Classic at No. 9/6 UCLA at 12:30 p.m. PT Sunday.
SoCal Collegiate Classic
Fullerton, Calif./Los Angeles, Calif.
February 7, 2015
Game 1: No. 25/24 Texas A&M 9, San Diego State 5
San Diego State 140 000 0 -- 5 9 2
Texas A&M (2-1) 111 420 x -- 9 10 1
Romero, Cable (5) and Peres; Fox, Ainsley (2) and Massey
W - Ainsley, 1-1; L - Romero, 1-1
HR: Texas A&M, Dozier (1)
Game 2: San Diego State 2, Purdue 1
Purdue (0-3) 000 001 0 -- 1 1 0
San Diego State (3-1) 000 000 2 -- 2 4 1
Fecho and Hampton; Smith, Romero (4) and Peres
W - Romero, 2-1; L - Fecho, 0-2
HR: Purdue, Hampton (1)