April 1, 2016
FRESNO, Calif. -
FRESNO STATE 9, SDSU 2 | 
VIDEO REPLAY
The San Diego State softball team lost the opening game of the weekend series at No. 25 Fresno State, 9-2, Friday night at Margie Wright Diamond in Fresno, Calif. The Aztecs fell to 21-14 and 3-4 in Mountain West play with the loss, while the Bulldogs improved to 22-9-1 and 4-0.
SDSU issued a season-high eight walks and a season-high three wild pitches in the game and was unable to come up with the big hit with runners in scoring position.
FS scored three times in the bottom of the second inning, all with two outs. Malia Rivers first drew a bases loaded walk to score Lindsey Willmon. Kierra Willis followed with a single through the left side to plate Bria Kennedy and Vanessa Hernandez.
It appeared Fresno State was going to put up another big inning in the third as Paige Gumz (single) and Willmon (double) each got into scoring position with no outs. Willmon would score on a wild pitch to put the Bulldogs up, 4-0, before Dominique Jackson and Hernandez each walked to load the bases with no outs. Junior relief pitcher Ashley Ercolano (Poway, Calif./Poway HS) was able to get San Diego State out of the jam, however, getting Whitney Smith to ground into a fielder's choice, Kennedy to strike out swinging and Rivers to ground out to her in the circle.
The Aztecs got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth as senior Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.) led off with infield single and later moved to second a groundout by junior Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Freshman Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.) then ripped a double down the right field line to plate Camello with the run.
Willis would get that run back for FS in the bottom of the fourth when she doubled to left-center field and scored on back-to-back wild pitches.
SDSU answered in the sixth as sophomore Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) led off with a bunt single and scored on Camello's double down the left-field line. Senior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) then singled up the middle and advanced to second on a Cable groundout. After a Sturdivant flyout, junior Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) drew a two-out walk to load the bases, before Fresno State pitcher Jill Compton was able to get San Diego State junior Frankie Orlando (Roseville, Calif.) to ground out to third, ending the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth, Willis drew a one-out walk and Alyssa Villalpando singled to put runners on the corners for the Bulldogs. Freshman Julie McDonald (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad HS) replaced Ercolano in the circle and allowed a two-run single to Gumz. Willmon followed with a home run to left field to put FS by seven runs at 9-2.
Camello and Ruiz each had two of the Aztecs' six hits in the game.
Formby (9-6) took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits and five walks over two innings, while striking out two. Ercolano surrendered three runs on two hits and three walks over 3 1/3 innings of relief, striking out one. McDonald gave up two runs on three hits over the final 2/3 innings.
SDSU will look to even the series at 6 p.m. PT Saturday.
Fresno State 9, San Diego State 2
San Diego State (21-14, 3-4 MW) 000 101 0 -- 2 6 1
Fresno State (22-9-1, 4-0 MW) 031 104 x -- 9 10 0
Formby, Ercolano (3), McDonald (6) and Orlando; Compton and Gumz
W - Compton, 12-4; L - Formby, 9-6
HR: Fresno State, Willmon (9)