May 8, 2016
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -
NEW MEXICO 3, SDSU 2 | VIDEO REPLAY
Lisa Rodrigues hit a walk-off, two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in New Mexico's 3-2 win over the San Diego State softball team Sunday afternoon at Lobo Field in Albuquerque, N.M. The Aztecs (28-21, 10-11 MW) had won the first two games of the weekend series with the Lobos (23-24, 8-12 MW).
SDSU broke the 1-1 tie with a run in the top of the 10th inning. Senior Leia Ruiz (Chino, Calif.) hit a one-out double off the right-center field wall with one out, the team's first hit since the fifth inning. One batter later, freshman Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.) blooped a single to right-center field to score Ruiz with the go-ahead run.
It appeared that San Diego State was going to complete the sweep after sophomore reliever Alex Formby (Orange, Calif.) struck out Mariah Rimmer and got Jasmine Casados to pop out to her in the circle. Karissa Haleman, however, kept the inning alive with a single up the middle. Rodrigues then took a 2-1 pitch just over the center-field fence to give UNM the walk-off victory.
Formby (11-10) was the tough-luck loser for the Aztecs after allowing two runs on six hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings of relief, while striking out four. Junior Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) started the game and yielded one run on six hits and a walk over four innings, striking out one.
After setting a school record with 28 hits on Friday in a 23-4, five-inning win, SDSU was once again stymied by the New Mexico pitchers. San Diego State followed a four-hit performance in a 2-1 victory on Saturday with seven hits in 10 innings today. Ruiz led the way, going 2-for-2 with a run, walk and two sacrifice bunts. The other hits on the day came from senior Samantha Camello (Temecula, Calif.), Sturdivant, junior Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS), junior Sam Vlot (Chowchilla, Calif.) and sophomore Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.).
After the Aztecs left two on base in the top of the first inning, the Lobos threatened in the bottom of the second, loading the bases on a walk, single and hit by pitch. With two outs, Romero got UNM leadoff hitter Cheyenne Smith to ground out to Sturdivant at third base to end the inning.
SDSU then went to work in the third as Meshack and Camello each had back-to-back infield singles and moved up a base on Ruiz's second sacrifice bunt of the game. After a popout, Sturdivant hit a high popup right in front of home plate and New Mexico's catcher and third baseman collided, which allowed Meshack to score on the play. Camello, however, was tagged out in a rundown on the play, ending the inning with San Diego State on top, 1-0.
After Romero retired the Lobos in order in the bottom of the third, the Aztecs loaded the bases in the fourth on singles by Ignacio and Vlot, and a fielding error with Meshack at the plate. With two outs, Camello grounded into a fielder's choice and Vlot was forced out at third base to end the threat.
New Mexico tied it up in the fourth when Brooke Breland's one-out double to right-center field scored Karissa Haleman. Romero got out of the jam with just the one run allowed by getting Kasey Halleen to line out to Vlot at first base and Tess McPherson to pop to Sturdivant at third.
The Lobos tried to take the lead in the fifth, getting two runners into scoring position with two outs. Formby, who replaced Romero earlier in the inning, got Rodrigues to ground out to Sturdivant at third, keeping the score tied at 1-1.
UNM got two runners on in the eighth, but Formby struck out Breland to end the inning in the final big chance before the decisive 10th frame.
SDSU returns to America's Finest City for a home series with Boise State, beginning at 6 p.m. PT Thursday.
NOTES: San Diego State had its seven-game win streak on one-run games snapped and is now 12-5 this season in one-run games ... The Aztecs had won four straight extra-inning games prior to today (now 1-1 this season) ... SDSU fell to 27-10 when leading at any point in a game this season ... San Diego State did not commit an error in its fourth consecutive game, tied for its longest streak of the season ... The Aztecs fell to 17-8 when scoring first ... SS Samantha Camello has now reached base safely in 20 consecutive games after a single in her second at-bat, the longest streak on the team this season ... 2B Leia Ruiz recorded her 11th multi-hit game of the year, tied for the second most on the team ... Ruiz also had two sacrifice bunts and now has 28 for her career, one shy of entering SDSU's all-time top-10 list in the category ... Despite giving up the walk-off, two-run home run, RHP Alex Formby is 2-2 with a save and a 1.83 ERA over last five appearances (23 innings).
New Mexico 3, San Diego State 2 (10 inn.)
San Diego State (28-21, 10-11 MW) 001 000 000 1 -- 2 7 0
New Mexico (23-24, 8-12 MW) 000 100 000 2 -- 3 12 3
Romero, Formby (5) and Orlando; Soles and Gray
W - Soles, 6-7; L - Formby, 11-10
HR: New Mexico, Rodrigues (1)