May 9, 2015
SAN DIEGO -
Sophomore Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) tossed a two-hitter and a pair of freshmen drove in all three runs in San Diego State's 3-1 victory over Oregon State Saturday afternoon at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs improved to 36-18 on the season and will await a possible at-large berth into the NCAA tournament, which will be announced at 7 p.m. PT Sunday on ESPNU.
Romero (34-15) held the Beavers (26-26) hitless through four innings and kept OSU off the scoreboard until the top of the seventh inning when CJ Chirichigno hit a one-out solo home run just inside the left field foul pole. The right-hander struck out four without issuing a walk against a team that came into the weekend batting .302 with 45 home runs and 299 runs in 51 games (5.86 runs per game).
SDSU got its first run in the bottom of the fifth inning when freshman Taylor Stewart's (Bellflower, Calif.) pinch-hit double plated junior Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.).
San Diego State added to its lead in the sixth when, with senior Jacki Campa (La Verne, Calif.) on second base, freshman Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) drilled 1-1 pitch over the right field wall. It was her eighth homer of the season.
The score remained 3-0 until Chirichigno's solo home run in the seventh.
Camello had two hits, including a double, and a run scored, while senior Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.) added two infield singles. Junior Victoria Kobold (Concord, Calif.) singled in her only plate appearance and Stewart had the RBI double in her lone at-bat. Senior Kayla Jordan (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS) had her 15-game hitting streak snapped, but did draw a walk.
The Aztecs, who have three wins against the Pac-12 this year after winning their second game of the season vs. Oregon State, are looking for their eighth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and 11th overall.
Seven SDSU seniors - Lorena Bauer (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS), Campa, Kaitlin Connors (San Diego/La Costa Canyon HS), Briana Gamm (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), Jordan, Kobold (will not play next year), Miles - were honored in a special ceremony after the game.
San Diego State 3, Oregon State 1
Oregon State (26-26) 000 000 1 -- 1 2 1
San Diego State (36-18) 000 012 x -- 3 8 1
Romero and Peres; Miller and Akamine
W - Romero, 34-15; L - Miller, 15-13
HR: Oregon State, Chirichigno (9); San Diego State, Peres (8)