April 3, 2016
FRESNO, Calif. -
No. 25 FRESNO STATE 8, SDSU 5 | VIDEO REPLAY
The San Diego State softball team rallied back from a 7-2 deficit but was unable to take back the lead in an 8-5 loss at No. 25/-- Fresno State Sunday afternoon at Margie Wright Diamond in Fresno, Calif. The Aztecs (21-16, 3-6 MW) lost all three games in the series with the Bulldogs (24-9-1, 6-0 MW).
SDSU jumped to the early lead in the top of the first inning as senior Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.) got things going with a leadoff double. Senior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) then moved Camello to third on a sacrifice bunt, but FS pitcher Jill Compton overthrew the ball to first, which allowed Camello to race home and Ruiz to advance to second on the error. Ruiz moved to third on a groundout by junior Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and scored on a deep sacrifice fly by freshman Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.) to right-center field.
Fresno State responded with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the first on a sacrifice fly by Kierra Willis, a RBI double by Alyssa Villalpando and a RBI single by Lindsey Willmon.
The Bulldogs tacked on four more runs in the second, highlighted by a three-run homer by Villalpando.
San Diego State got a pair of runs in the third when Camello, Ruiz and Cable each walked with one out. Sturdivant hit her second sacrifice fly of the game to center field to score Camello. Junior Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) followed with a single to left-center field to plate Ruiz. With runners at the corners and two outs, FS pitcher Jill Compton was able to get out of the inning by getting junior catcher Frankie Orlando (Roseville, Calif.) to ground out to second base.
The Aztecs closed the gap in the fifth as Cable reached on an error by Villalpando at third base and was replaced by junior Sam Vlot (Chowchilla, Calif.). Sturdivant came through once again with a double off the left-center field fence to score Vlot.
Fresno State added an insurance run in the sixth when a single up the middle by Malia Rivers scored pinch-runner Christina Rodriguez.
SDSU mounted one last comeback in the seventh as Cable hit a one-out single and moved to second on a fielding error by Willis in left field. Redshirt freshman Katie Byrd (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS) replaced Cable at second but would get no further as Compton got Sturdivant to fly out to center field and Ignacio to ground out to third to end the game.
Sturdivant led San Diego State with a hit and three RBIs, while Cable and Camello each had a hit and a walk. Camello and Ruiz also scored two runs apiece.
Sophomore Alex Formby (Orange, Calif.) took the loss after surrendering seven runs on seven hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings. Junior Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) yielded one run on three hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings of relief, while striking out three.
The Aztecs will look to get back on the winning track this weekend when they play host to Colorado State at SDSU Softball Stadium. The first game of the three-game series is 6 p.m. PT Friday.
No. 25/-- Fresno State 8, San Diego State 5
San Diego State (21-15, 3-5 MW 202 010 0 -- 5 6 1
Fresno State (23-9-1, 5-0 MW 340 001 x -- 8 10 3
Formby, Romero (2) and Orlando; Compton and Gumz
W - Compton, 13-4; L - Formby, 9-7
HR: Fresno State, Villalpando (6)