March 26, 2016
LAS VEGAS -
The San Diego State softball team fell to UNLV, 7-2, in the series finale Saturday at Eller Media Stadium in Las Vegas. The Aztecs' (19-12, 1-2 MW) loss gave the series to the Rebels (18-14, 2-1 MW), marking the first time SDSU has lost a conference opening series since 2007.
San Diego State outhit UNLV, 9-7, but committed three errors and left eight runners on base a night after leaving a season-high 14 in a 4-2 loss. Only three of the Rebels' seven runs were earned.
UNLV got on the scoreboard first with two runs in the bottom of the second inning, thanks to two infield singles and a walk. Alyssa Cordova walked and Francesca Foti followed with a single to senior shortstop Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.). After a sacrifice bunt by Kwyn Cooper that moved both runners up a base, Courtney Beavers singled to Camello to score Cordova with the first run of the game. Beavers then got caught in a rundown trying to steal second, which allowed Foti to score from third base.
SDSU tied it up in the top of the third as sophomore Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) led off with a single up the middle, stole second base and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Camello. Senior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) then ripped a hard-hit ball off the glove of Rebel third baseman to score Meshack with her second double of the season. After Janine Petmecky replaced Cooper in the circle for UNLV, junior Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) followed with a single up the middle to score Ruiz with the tying run.
The Rebels, however, scored four times in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a three-run homer by Foti two batters after a fielding error by San Diego State. UNLV got its first run in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Garie Blando.
In the fifth, Ruiz and Cable each reached with back-to-back one-out singles. Freshman Molly Sturdivant's (Santa Ana, Calif.) fielder's choice grounder got Cable out at second, but allowed Ruiz to get to third. Redshirt freshman Katie Byrd (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS), however, grounded out to Blando at shortstop to end the threat.
UNLV tacked on a run in the fifth as Jamie Depippo singled, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error by Orlando behind the plate.
The Rebels looked to put the game away in the bottom of the sixth as they loaded the bases with no outs on a fielding error, single and fielder's choice. Junior relief pitcher Ashley Ercolano (Poway, Calif./Poway HS) was able to get the Aztecs out of the jam by getting Myranda Bueno to ground into a fielder's choice, Jadelyn Yadao-Valdez to line out to her in the circle and Blando to ground out to Camello at shortstop.
SDSU went in order in the seventh, though, giving UNLV the 2-1 series victory.
Three San Diego State players had two hits apiece, including Cable (2-for-4, RBI), Meshack (2-for-3, R, SB) and Ruiz (2-for-3, 2B, RBI, R, SH). Sophomore Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) also reached base safely with a single and a walk.
Junior Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) took the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk over three innings. The right-hander struck out one and is now 9-5 on the season. Ercolano relieved Romero in the fourth and surrendered one unearned run on two hits over three innings.
The Aztecs play host to Nevada in a MW midweek series, beginning with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. PT Tuesday.
UNLV 7, San Diego State 2
San Diego State (19-12, 1-2 MW 002 000 0 -- 2 9 3
UNLV (18-14, 2-1 MW) 024 010 x -- 7 7 0
Romero, Ercolano (4) and Orlando; Cooper, Petmecky (3) and Stover
W - Petmecky, 3-3; L - Romero, 9-5
HR: UNLV, Francesca Foti (2)