March 30, 2016
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU 1, NEVADA 0 | VIDEO REPLAY
Sophomore Alex Formby (Orange, Calif.) struck out a career-high eight batters in a complete game shutout to lift San Diego State to a 1-0 victory over Nevada Wednesday afternoon at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (21-13, 3-3 MW) claimed the series with the win after splitting with the Wolf Pack (23-7, 4-2 MW) on Tuesday night.
A night after SDSU and Nevada scored a combined 24 runs over its doubleheader, pitching was on display today after a rain delay pushed the game back 3 hours and 26 minutes from the original start time of noon PT.
Formby (9-5) allowed five hits and just one walk over seven innings, while striking out eight. It was the first shutout of her career.
Formby limited the Wolf Pack to just a 1-for-7 (.143) mark with runners on base and a 1-for-7 outing with runners in scoring position.
Nevada's biggest chance to score off Formby came in the top of the seventh inning when it got two runners into scoring position on a single, walk and sacrifice bunt. Formby, however, got pinch-hitter Nikki Orozco to ground out to freshman Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.) at third and pinch-hitter Amanda Weis to strike out looking on a 2-2 pitch to end the game.
San Diego State got its lone run in the bottom of the second inning when junior Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) led off with a walk and moved to third on a double by junior Frankie Orlando (Roseville, Calif.). Junior Sam Vlot (Chowchilla, Calif.) followed with a single to left-center field to plate Ignacio with the game-winning run. Senior Stefania Aradillas (Mexico City) walked to load the bases with no outs, but Wolf Pack pitcher Brooke Bolinger was able to get the Aztecs out on a fielder's choice, lineout and groundout.
SDSU also left the bases loaded in the third with two outs, but Formby kept the team in the game with her pitching.
Vlot paced the San Diego State offense by going 1-for-1 with a RBI and a walk, while Ignacio drew two walks and scored the game's lone run. Orlando's double in the second was her team-leading eighth of the season.
Bolinger scattered one run on four hits and four walks over six innings, striking out one, for Nevada.
The Aztecs hit the road for a key weekend series at No. 25 Fresno State. The Bulldogs (21-9-1, 3-0 MW) and SDSU were picked first and second, respectively, in the MW preseason poll. The two teams will play at 6 p.m. PT Friday, 6 p.m. PT Saturday and noon PT Sunday.
San Diego State 1, Nevada 0
Nevada (23-7, 4-2 MW) 000 000 0 -- 0 5 1
San Diego State (21-13, 3-3 MW) 010 000 x -- 1 4 0
Bolinger and Nicholas; Formby and Orlando
W - Formby, 9-5; L - Bolinger, 11-3