April 12, 2015
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU 3, SJSU 2 (9 inn.) | VIDEO REPLAY
Freshman Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) laid down a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the ninth inning to score senior Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS) and give San Diego State a 3-2 victory over San José State Sunday afternoon at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs improved to 28-16 on the season and 11-4 in Mountain West play, which is tied with Fresno State atop the league standings.
Jordan led off the ninth with a nine-pitch walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Jordan then advanced to third when Spartan (28-15, 8-4 MW) catcher Emma Entzminger's pickoff attempt at second soared into center field. After senior Lorena Bauer (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) drew an eight-pitch walk, her fourth free pass of the series, Peres bunted the first pitch she saw to SJSU pitcher Allison Lang, whose throw home was behind a sliding Jordan. It was SDSU's second walkoff victory of the season.
San Diego State had taken a 2-1 lead in the second when Peres smashed a leadoff home run over the center field fence and junior Victoria Kobold (Concord, Calif.) later scored on a grounder by junior Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.).
The game would remain 2-1 until the top of the seventh when Entzminger's double to right-center field plated Taylor Purdy. San José State ended up loading the bases in the inning with two outs, but Aztec sophomore starting pitcher Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) got Sharon-Renae Estrada to ground into a fielder's choice to junior third baseman Kayla Bufardeci (Castro Valley, Calif.) and end the threat.
It appeared the Spartans would take the lead in the eighth as Alyssa Martinez reached on a SDSU fielding error, Erin Rodriguez drew a four-pitch walk and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. With two runners in scoring position and no outs, Romero was able to get Purdy to fly out, Entzminger to ground out and Nicole Schultz to line out to keep the game tied at 2-2, setting up the walkoff win one inning later.
SJSU took a 1-0 lead in the second when Rodriguez scored on a double by Entzminger.
San Diego State, which outhit San José State, 8-7, was led offensively by Cable, Peres and junior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.), who had two hits apiece. Peres added two RBIs and a run, while Ruiz was walked in the eighth.
Jordan (single, walk), freshman Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) (single, walk) and senior Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.) (two walks) also reached safely on two occasions, with Jordan stealing her 59th base of her career, tying a school record.
Romero (26-13) picked up the win after allowing two runs on seven hits and four walks over nine innings. She struck out three.
The Aztecs travel to Fort Collins, Colo., for a three-game series this weekend at Colorado State, beginning Friday at 4 p.m. MT.
San Diego State 3, San José State 2 (9 innings)
San José State (28-15, 8-4 MW) 010 000 100 -- 2 7 2
San Diego State (28-16, 11-4 MW) 020 000 001 -- 3 8 2
Lang and Entzminger; Romero and Peres
W - Romero, 26-13; L - Lang, 10-8
HR: San Diego State, Peres (5)