Feb. 27, 2016
Game 1: Nebraska 3, SDSU 1 html | PDF
Game 2: CSUN 5, SDSU 4 html | PDF
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - The San Diego State softball team dropped a pair of close games Saturday night at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. The Aztecs (9-5) fell to Nebraska, 3-1, and to CSUN, 5-4.
In the opener, SDSU outhit the Cornhuskers (10-2), 7-4, but two of UN's hits were home runs and San Diego State fell by a 3-1 score.
Nebraska, which is receiving votes in both national polls, got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when MJ Knighten hit her eighth home run of the season.
The Aztecs answered in the third as junior Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) led off with a double and moved to third on an infield bunt single by sophomore Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.). After Meshack stole second, senior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) singled to left field to plate Ignacio with the tying run. Senior Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.) followed and ripped a grounder to Knighten at third base, who was able to get a sprinting Meshack at the plate. Husker pitcher Cassie McClure was then able to get sophomore Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) to ground into a double play to end the threat.
Kaylan Jablonksi gave UN a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a one-out home run. One inning later, Knighten's double to right field scored Kiki Stokes and accounted for the final run of the game.
Freshman Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.) had two hits to lead the SDSU offense.
Junior Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) took her first loss of the season (5-1) after allowing three runs on four hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings. Sophomore Alex Formby (Orange, Calif.) pitched a perfect 1 1/3 innings of relief, striking out one.
In the nightcap, San Diego State allowed four runs in the bottom of the first and never recovered in a 5-4 loss to the Matadors (7-6) in a rematch of a NCAA Los Angeles Regional elimination game from last season.
Peres gave the Aztecs the early lead in the top of the first with a two-run homer.
CSUN responded with four runs in the bottom of the first and another run in the second to take a 5-2 lead.
Peres powered SDSU back within a run with her second two-run home run of the game in the third.
San Diego State tried to tie it up, but left two runners on base in the fifth and the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh inning. In the seventh, Camello led off with a double and Peres was intentionally walked. After a strikeout, redshirt freshman Katie Byrd (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS) singled to load the bases with one out. The Aztecs, however, struck out looking and grounded to the pitcher to end the game this time in favor of the Matadors.
Byrd had three hits, while Peres was 2-for-2 with a pair of two-run homers and two walks (one intentional). Peres now has four home runs and nine RBIs in just five games on the season.
Formby (2-3) was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs on five hits with one strikeout in one inning. Freshman Julie McDonald (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad HS) relieved Formby in the second and allowed one run on four hits over 2 1/3 innings, while striking out four. Ercolano allowed a hit and a walk over 2/3 scoreless innings, while Romero gave up just one walk over the final two innings of the game.
SDSU takes on Stanford at 11:30 a.m. PST Sunday.
Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
Cathedral City, Calif.
February 27, 2016
Game 1: Nebraska 3, San Diego State 1
San Diego State 001 000 0 -- 1 7 0
Nebraska (10-2) 100 110 x -- 3 4 1
Romero, Formby (5) and Peres; McClure and Unzicker
W - McClure, 6-1; L - Romero, 5-1
HR: Nebraska, Knighten (8), Jablonski (2)
Game 2: CSUN 5, San Diego State 4
San Diego State (9-5) 202 000 0 -- 4 10 2
CSUN (7-6) 410 000 x -- 5 10 1
Formby, McDonald (2), Ercolano (4), Romero (5) and Orlando, Peres (6); Troost and Habitz
HR: San Diego State, Peres 2 (4); CSUN, Wassmer (1)