April 25, 2015
SAN DIEGO -
Senior Lorena Bauer (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift San Diego State to a 5-4, come-from-behind win over New Mexico Saturday at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs improved to 31-18 on the season and 14-6 in Mountain West play, while the Lobos dipped to 25-22 and 9-8.
SDSU forced extra innings in the bottom of the sixth when, with the bases loaded and two outs, freshman Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) scored from third on a wild pitch by UNM's Lisa Rodrigues. Rodrigues struck out junior Kayla Bufardeci (Castro Valley, Calif.), but the ball hit the dirt and scooted past catcher Mia Hignojos. Meshack raced home and easily touched the plate for the tying run.
New Mexico threatened in the seventh as Jasmine Casados and Mariah Rimmer each led off with consecutive singles. San Diego State sophomore pitcher Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.), however, got out of the jam by inducing a fielder's choice groundout to Karissa Haleman, getting Hignojos to line out to sophomore Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) in left field and retiring Rodrigues on a grounder to Bufardeci at third base.
Rodrigues pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh, giving up just a single to Aztec senior Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS), and Romero answered by retiring the Lobos in order in the top of the eighth.
Bauer then took a 2-0 pitch well over the left field wall for the walk-off win, SDSU's third of the season. The homer was Bauer's 15th of the season and 56th of her career.
San Diego State also scored solo runs in the second (bases loaded walk by junior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) to score junior Victoria Kobold (Concord, Calif.)), third (Bufardeci fielder's choice grounder to score freshman Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.)) and fourth (RBI single by Peres to plate Jordan).
Peres was 2-for-2 with an RBI, run and two walks, while Bauer had two hits, including the walk-off homer. Jordan was 1-for-2 with three walks, a run and her 17th stolen base of the year, and freshman Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) was 1-for-1 with two walks. Ruiz added a single, an RBI and two walks.
The Aztecs tied a season high with nine walks, but left 13 on base, while UNM stranded nine for the game.
Romero (29-15) picked up the win after allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits, three walks and a hit batter over seven combined innings. She struck out four and now has SDSU's last 29 pitching decisions. Sophomore Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) gave up two hits, while striking out two, in one inning of relief.
The rubber game of the weekend series is set for 11 a.m. PT Sunday.
San Diego State 5, New Mexico 4 (8 innings)
New Mexico (25-22, 9-8 MW) 021 100 00 -- 4 9 2
San Diego State (31-18, 14-6 MW) 011 101 01 -- 5 8 2
Soles, McPherson (3), Rodrigues (6) and Hignojos; Romero, Cable (6), Romero (7) and Peres
W - Romero, 29-15; L - Rodrigues, 1-4
HR: New Mexico, Rimmer (6); San Diego State, Bauer (15)