Feb. 19, 2016
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State used a season-high 15 hits to run-rule Texas Tech, 13-3, and complete a doubleheader sweep Friday at the 26th annual Campbell/Cartier Classic at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs, who earlier defeated South Dakota, 2-1, are now 5-3 on the year.
In the nightcap, SDSU rallied from a 2-0 deficit with five runs in the bottom of the second inning, five more in the third and three in the fourth to secure its second run-rule win of the season.
Redshirt junior Sam Vlot (Chowchilla, Calif.) led the San Diego State hit barrage by going 3-for-3 with four RBIs, three runs and a triple. Sophomore Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) added three hits, two RBIs and two runs. The three hits were both career highs for Vlot and Meshack.
Seniors Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.) (2-for-3, RBI, run), walk), and freshman Kiera Wright (Riverside, Calif.) (2-for-3, RBI) recorded two hits apiece, while junior Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) drove in two runs with a single and two walks.
Juniors Frankie Orlando (Roseville, Calif.) (double) and Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) (walk, hit by pitch) both scored two runs for the Aztecs.
Junior right-hander Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) picked up the win after tossing a complete game, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks over five innings, while striking out a career-high eight batters. Coupled with the win earlier in the day vs. the Coyotes (0-7), Romero improved to 4-0 on the year.
The game arguably turned around in the top of the second inning when the Red Raiders' (3-4) Brittany Warnecke led off with a homer and, after a groundout, Brooke Scott appeared to make it 3-0 TTU with another solo homer. Scott, however, was called out after the team celebrated around home plate and touched Scott before she touched home. Texas Tech had been warned earlier in the inning after Warnecke's home run.
SDSU outscored the Red Raiders, 13-1, the rest of the way.
A day after going 1-for-13 (.077) with runners on base and 1-for-7 (.143) with runners in scoring position in a 5-1 loss to No. 18/19 Kentucky on Friday, San Diego State was 12-for-19 (.632) with runners on base vs. TTU and 11-for-16 (.688) with runners in scoring position.
In the opener, redshirt freshman Katie Byrd (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS) singled home freshman Aris Metcalfe (Compton, Calif.) in the top of the seventh inning to give the Aztecs a 2-1 lead over USD.
Romero, who entered in the sixth, ran into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the seventh, including allowing a two-out single by Yvon Minogue with runners on first and second and two outs. Pinch-runner Taylor Steinfeldt rounded third and started to head home, but Camello fired the ball home from shortstop to Orlando at the catcher position. Orlando then relayed it to freshman Molly Sturdivant (Orange, Calif.) at third base in time to get Steinfeldt and end the game in favor of SDSU.
San Diego State got on the scoreboard first in the second when Ignacio's single through the right plated redshirt junior Ashley Ercolano (Poway, Calif.).
South Dakota answered in the fourth thanks to a single by Brooke Curtis that scored Katie Cochran.
Orlando was 2-for-2 with a double and a sacrifice hit to pace the Aztec offense.
Romero got the win, tossing 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, giving up two hits with one strikeout. Romero replaced freshman Julie McDonald (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad HS), who allowed just one hit over two scoreless innings. Ercolano started the game for SDSU and yielded one run on four hits over 3 2/3 innings.
San Diego State meets No. 22/25 California at 7 p.m. PST Saturday.
26th Annual Campbell/Cartier Classic
San Diego, Calif. - SDSU Softball Stadium
February 19, 2016
San Diego State 2, South Dakota 1
San Diego State 010 000 1 -- 2 5 0
South Dakota (0-7) 000 100 0 -- 1 7 4
Ercolano, McDonald (4), Romero (6) and Orlando; Frain, Cue (7) and Curtis
W - Romero, 3-0; L - Frain, 0-2
San Diego State 13, Texas Tech 3 (5 inn.)
Texas Tech (3-4) 111 00 -- 3 6 3
San Diego State (5-3) 055 3x -- 13 15 1
Powell, Maisel (3), Alcocer (5) and Welborn; Romero and Sturdivant
W - Romero, 4-0; L - Powell, 2-1
HR: Texas Tech, Warnecke (1)
No. 22/25 California 8, South Dakota 1
San Diego 6, Texas Tech 0
No. 22/25 California 5, No. 18/19 Kentucky 1