March 12, 2015
Game 1: Brigham Young 3, SDSU 1 html | pdf | gallery
Game 2: SDSU 9, Long Beach State 3 html | pdf | gallery
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team powered past Long Beach State, 9-3, for a split on the first day of the San Diego Classic II Thursday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs, who lost to Brigham Young, 3-1, in the opener, are now 16-9 on the season.
After managing just two hits off the Cougars (15-6) in the first game, SDSU found its stroke in the nightcap with 10 hits, including a home run and two doubles, in the 9-3 win over the 49ers (10-18).
After LBSU's Haley Tobler homered in the top of the first inning, San Diego State responded with four runs in the bottom half on three hits, two walks, an error and a wild pitch. The Aztecs loaded the bases with two outs before junior Kayla Bufardeci (Castro Valley, Calif.) laced a single up the middle to score senior Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS) and junior Victoria Kobold (Concord, Calif.). Junior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) followed with an infield single, which scored sophomore Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Bufardeci later scored on a Long Beach State throwing error.
The 49ers closed the gap in the third when Lauren Lombardi's two-out double down the right field line plated a pair of runs.
SDSU, however, put the game away with five runs in the fourth, highlighted by a three-run homer by senior Lorena Bauer (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS). It was the 46th home run of her career, which ties Patrice Jackson for the most in program history. The other RBIs in the inning came by Bufardeci (double) and Ruiz (groundout).
Bufardeci led the San Diego State offense with two hits, including a double, three RBIs and a run, while two others - Jordan (two runs) and freshman Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) (run, double, walk) - added two hits apiece. Cable walked twice and scored a run.
Sophomore Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) got the win in the circle after allowing three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings, while striking out two. The right-hander is now 14-6 on the season. Cable pitched the final two innings and struck out one with one hit allowed.
In the opener, the Aztecs managed only two hits (both singles) off BYU pitcher McKenna Bull and committed a costly error in the fifth inning that led to two runs in a 3-1 loss.
With the game tied at 1-1 with one out in the bottom of the fifth, Lauren Bell singled deep in the hole to SDSU junior shortstop Monica Downey (San Diego/Madison HS), who injured her leg on the play and was unable to return. After San Diego State moved its defensive lineup around, Mercedes O'Connor hit a fielder's choice grounder to the Aztec third baseman, who threw it over the second baseman's glove and into the outfield. Lauren Bell scored on the play and O'Connor got all the way to third base. After a strikeout, Sydney Broderick tripled down the right field line for Brigham Young's second unearned run of the inning.
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the third as Ashley Thompson's single to left-center field scored Gordy Bravo.
SDSU tied it in the fourth when junior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) scored on a throwing error by the BYU third baseman Darian Tautalafua.
Cable and freshman Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) had SDSU's two hits, while Ruiz walked twice and Stewart once.
Romero was the tough-luck loser, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk over six innings. She struck out four.
San Diego State returns to action at 7 p.m. PT Friday when it takes on No. 15/13 Baylor at the Sportsplex USA Santee in Santee, Calif. The rest of the San Diego Classic II, 33 games overall, will be held there over the weekend (Friday-Sunday).
San Diego Classic II
San Diego, Calif.
March 12, 2015
Game 1: Brigham Young 3, San Diego State 1
San Diego State 000 100 0 -- 1 2 1
Brigham Young (15-6) 001 020 x -- 3 7 3
Romero and Peres; Bull and Broderick
W - Bull, 15-3; L - Romero, 13-6
Game 2: San Diego State 9, Long Beach State 3
Long Beach State (10-18) 102 000 0 -- 3 6 2
San Diego State (16-9) 400 500 x -- 9 10 0
Alderman, Polamalu (2), Carbajal (4) and MacLeod; Romero, Cable (6) and Peres
W - Romero, 14-6; L - Alderman, 0-2
HR: Long Beach State, Tobler (1); San Diego State, Bauer (5)