Feb. 8, 2018
Game 1: No. 25/25 Georgia 23, SDSU 2 html | PDF
Game 2: Stanford 4, SDSU 0 html | PDF
TEMPE, Ariz. - San Diego State dropped a pair of games on the first day of the 2018 softball season Thursday at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The Aztecs (0-2) first lost to No. 25/25 Georgia, 23-2, in five innings before falling late to Stanford, 4-0.
In the opener, SDSU spotted the Bulldogs (1-0) the first 23 runs of the game in just three innings and was unable to recover in a 23-2, five-inning loss.
UGA scored 12 runs in the bottom of the first, three in the second and eight in the third, finishing with 21 hits in the contest.
San Diego State got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth after loading the bases with no outs when Megan Smith reached via error, Kayla Sok was hit by a pitch and, after a passed ball, Kiera Wright drew a walk. Katie Byrd followed with a single to right field to score Smith and break up a combined no-hitter by the Georgia pitchers. Sok, however, was tagged out at home trying to score on a passed ball for the first out of the inning. Alizae Umi followed with a sacrifice fly, which scored Wright, before Kelsey Munoz walked. Taylor Stewart then fouled out to end the game.
Sok reached on both plate appearances (walk, hit by pitch) for the Aztecs, while Byrd (single), Munoz (walk) and Shelby Thompson (walk) also reached base safely for SDSU.
Alex Formby (0-1) took the loss after allowing 11 runs on eight hits, two walks and a hit batter in 0 2/3 innings. Marissa Moreno gave up 10 runs on eight hits and four walks in 1 1/3 innings of relief, while Julie McDonald scattered two runs on five hits and a walk over the final two innings of the game.
In the nightcap, the Cardinal (1-1) scored all four runs in the game in the top of the sixth inning, including the final three with two outs, and held on to beat SDSU, 4-0. The big hits came on a RBI double by Montana Dixon, a two-run triple by Lauren Frost and a RBI single by Hannah Howell
Taylor Adams led the San Diego State offense against Stanford with two hits. Jordyn Fick singled and walked in her collegiate debut, while Smith, Stewart and Molly Sturdivant each added singles.
Moreno (0-1) allowed four runs on eight hits in the loss, while striking out four.
THE NOTE
The Aztecs lost for just the third time in a season opener under 22nd-year head coach Kathy Van Wyk, dropping to 19-3 (.864).
THE NOTE II
SDSU had its three-game winning streak against Stanford snapped in the nightcap (last loss in the series was 2014).
UP NEXT
SDSU plays another doubleheader in the Kajkawa Classic on Friday, meeting Western Michigan at 5:15 p.m. MT (4:15 p.m. PT) and Northwestern at 7:30 p.m. MT (6:30 p.m. PT).
Game 1: No. 25/25 Georgia 23, San Diego State 2 (5 inn.)
San Diego State 000 02 -- 2 1 2
Georgia (1-0) (12)38 0 x -- 23 21 3
Formby, Moreno (1), McDonald (3) and Sturdivant, Umi (4); Gray, Mathis (3), Avant (5) and O'Neal, Morgan (3)
W - Mathis, 1-0; L - Formby, 0-1
HR: Georgia, DiCarlo (1), Emmanuel (1), Morgan (1), O'Neal (1)
Game 2: Stanford 4, San Diego State 0
Stanford (1-1) 000 004 0 -- 4 9 0
San Diego State (0-2) 000 000 0 -- 0 6 0
Dwyer and Dixon; Moreno and Sturdivant
W - Dwyer, 1-0; L - Moreno, 0-1