April 18, 2015
Game 1: SDSU 9, CSU 7 html | pdf
Game 2: CSU 10, SDSU 9 html | pdf
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The San Diego State softball team split a doubleheader with Colorado State Saturday afternoon in Fort Collins, Colo. The Aztecs (29-17, 12-5 MW) won the opener, 9-7, over the Rams (23-23, 4-10 MW), before falling in the nightcap by one run at 10-9.
In the first game, SDSU started out the game with a solo home run by senior Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS). It was her sixth of the season and the first leadoff homer by San Diego State this year.
In the top of the second inning, junior Kayla Bufardeci (Castro Valley, Calif.) led off with a double down the right field line and later scored on a two-out single by junior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.).
CSU got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second as Taylor Hutton hit a solo home run over the left field fence.
Jordan, who on Tuesday was named the Mountain West Player of the Week for the third time this season, continued her power surge with another solo homer in the third to put San Diego State up, 3-1.
Hutton answered for Colorado State once again in the third when she singled up the middle to score Danielle Wikre, who had doubled earlier in the inning. The Rams later loaded up the bases, but Aztec starting pitcher Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) got out of the jam by getting their leadoff hitter Hayley Hutton to pop up to Bufardeci at third base. It was the second time in the game that CSU left the bases loaded and earlier it got runners to second and third with no outs, but were unable to get a run across the plate.
In the fifth, SDSU used a two-out rally to score three more times. Jordan walked, stole second base (her school-record 60th of her career) and moved to third on a popup by sophomore Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Senior Lorena Bauer (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) then drilled a double to right-center field, before freshman Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) homered over the right field wall.
San Diego State tacked on an insurance run in the sixth with a solo homer by senior Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.), her fourth of the year.
Colorado State cut the deficit in the sixth on an RBI single by Hayley David and a sacrifice fly by Wikre.
Miles drove in another run in the seventh, scoring freshman Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) on an RBI groundout. Ruiz followed with an infield single to score sophomore Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS).
The Rams wouldn't go away, however, as Hayley Hutton connected on a three-run homer over the right-center field wall, bringing the score to 9-7. Cable then replaced Romero with one out and, after giving up a single and a double, got Savannah Clark to ground out to junior shortstop Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.) and Wikre to fly out to Jordan in right field to end the game.
Bufardeci, Jordan and Ruiz had two hits and a walk to pace the Aztecs, who were outhit, 15-11, in the game, while Miles had two hits and two RBIs. Jordan scored three times and stole two bases, and Bufardeci and Miles each scored one run apiece.
Romero picked up the win in the circle after allowing seven runs on 13 hits and four walks over 6 1/3 innings, while striking out three. Cable gave up two hits over 2/3 innings of relief en route to earning the first save of her career.
In the second game, SDSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, thanks in part to four CSU errors, and led, 5-1, before Colorado State came storming back with seven runs in the bottom of the second to take a 8-5 lead.
Not to be outdone, San Diego State tied it in the fourth when Bufardeci's groundout scored senior Briana Gamm (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), and freshman Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) singled up the middle to plate junior Victoria Kobold (Concord, Calif.) and Peres.
The Aztecs took back the lead in the fifth when Bufardeci's bases loaded, two-out single scored Jordan.
The Rams responded in the bottom half as Clark's double plated Shae Rodriguez and a Jaelyn Manzanares triple scored Clark. Both runs were unearned against Romero with an error earlier in the inning.
SDSU loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Holly Reinke entered the game for CSU and struck out Cable and Bauer in back-to-back plate appearances to end the threat.
San Diego State mounted one last comeback, loading the bases again in the seventh with two outs, but Reinke got Camello to ground out to second base to end the game.
The Aztecs left a season-high 15 runners on base in the nightcap, going 1-for-7 (.143) with the bases loaded.
SDSU had 13 hits in the game, including three apiece by Bauer and Camello. Miles singled, walked three times and scored a run, while Jordan singled, scored two runs and walked twice. Peres added a hit, two RBIs, two runs and a walk, and Bufardeci drove in three runs with a hit, walk and run scored.
Romero took the loss after surrendering four runs (two earned) on nine hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings of relief. Stewart started the game and allowed six runs on six hits and two walks over 1 1/3 innings.
The two teams will look to break the series tie tomorrow at noon MT.
Game 1: San Diego State 9, Colorado State 7
San Diego State 111 031 2 -- 9 11 0
Colorado State 011 002 3 -- 7 15 0
Romero and Peres; Reinke, Losh (5) and Manzanares
W - Romero, 27-13; Reinke, 10-14
HR: San Diego State, Jordan 2 (6, 7), Peres (6), Miles (4); Colorado State, T. Hutton (2), H. Hutton (4)
Game 2: Colorado State 10, San Diego State 9
San Diego State (29-17, 12-5 MW) 410 310 0 -- 9 13 2
Colorado State (23-23, 4-10 MW) 170 020 x -- 10 15 5
Stewart, Romero (2) and Peres; Harrington, Losh (4), Reinke (6) and Manzanares
W - Losh, 3-1; L - Romero, 27-14; SV - Reinke, 2