May 13, 2016
SAN DIEGO - Junior Ashley Ercolano (Poway, Calif./Poway HS) hit a walk-off, pinch-hit single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift San Diego State to a 7-6 victory over Boise State Friday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (29-22, 11-12 MW) evened the series with the Broncos (14-37, 6-17 MW).
Junior Frankie Orlando (Roseville, Calif.) got things going in the bottom of the eighth with a walk and was replaced by freshman Aris Metcalfe (Compton, Calif.). Junior Sam Vlot (Chowchilla, Calif.) followed with an infield single and joined Metcalfe in scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by senior Stefania Aradillas (Mexico City). Ercolano then came through with a single up the middle to score Metcalfe with the walk-off run.
Juniors Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) and Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.), and sophomore Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) each had two hits to pace the SDSU offense. Ignacio was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run, Cable finished 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs, and Meshack was 2-for-3.
Senior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) singled, walked and scored two runs, while Orlando doubled, walked, scored a run and had three RBIs. Freshman Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.) walked twice and scored a run.
Junior Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) picked up the win after tossing two perfect innings of relief and is now 14-9 on the season. Sophomore Alex Formby (Orange, Calif.) started the game and yielding six runs (four earned) on 11 hits and two walks over seven innings, while striking out six.
After spotting BSU two runs in the top of the first inning on a two-run single by Teauna Hughes, SDSU went to work in the bottom half, scoring four times on four hits and a walk. San Diego State loaded the bases with one out on singles by Ruiz Cable and a walk by Sturdivant. Ignacio followed with a single up the middle to score Ruiz and chase Boise State starting pitcher Jenna Bassler from the game. After Shawna Burke replaced Bassler in the circle, Orlando ripped a 1-1 pitch into the gap in left-center field to clear the bases and put the Aztecs up, 4-2, after one inning.
SDSU tacked on a pair of runs in the second with two outs as Cable's double scored Ruiz, who had kept the inning alive with a walk. After Sturdivant drew her second walk of the game, Ignacio singled through the left side to plate Cable with San Diego State's sixth run of the game.
The Broncos threatened in the third, getting runners on first (Cassidy Edwards) and third (Hughes) with two outs. Edwards, however, was thrown out in a rundown on a steal attempt before Hughes could score, keeping the score at 6-2 in favor of the Aztecs.
BSU didn't waste its next scoring chance, getting back-to-back two-out singles by Kaitlyn Shreves and Tatiana Sorokina, before Izzy Serrano cleared the bases with her first career home run over the center-field wall to bring Boise State within a run at 6-5.
The Broncos tied it in the sixth when, after an infield single by Sorokina, Shreves scored on a fielding error.
It would be the final run until Ercolano's clutch it in the 10th.
SDSU and BSU play the rubber game of the series at 11 a.m. PT Saturday. Following the game, there will be a special ceremony honoring San Diego State's four departing seniors - Aradillas, Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.), Ruiz and Vlot.
NOTES: San Diego State played in its third straight one-run game and improved to 13-6 on the season in one-run contests … The Aztecs also played in their second extra-inning game in three games and are now 2-1 this year in extra-inning affairs … SDSU won its 19th straight game (14-0 this season) when scoring at least seven runs … San Diego State won its 20th consecutive game (15-0 this year) when leading after five innings … The Aztecs improved to 28-10 on the season when leading at any point in the game … 2B Leia Ruiz recorded her sixth multi-run game of the year, tied for the most on the team … Ruiz now has 88 runs over her career, one shy of entering SDSU's top-10 list … DP Sydnee Cable now has reached base safely in 16 straight games … Cable recorded her 10th multi-hit game of the year and fifth multi-run contest … RF Jaylene Ignacio had her eighth multi-hit game and seventh multi-RBI effort … C Frankie Orlando had her fourth multi-RBI game of the season and tied a season high with three RBIs … CF Zaria Meshack had her 10th multi-hit outing … PH Ashley Ercolano's hit was her first go-ahead RBI and first game-winning RBI this season … San Diego State now has three walk-off victories this year … PR Aris Metcalfe had her sixth go-ahead run and fourth game-winning score.
San Diego State 7, Boise State 6 (8 innings)
Boise State (14-37, 6-17 MW) 200 301 00 -- 6 11 1
San Diego State (29-22, 11-12 MW) 420 000 01 -- 7 11 1
Formby, Romero (7) and Orlando; Bassler, Burke (1) and Shreves
W - Romero, 14-9; L - Burke, 2-3
HR: Boise State, Serrano (1)