Feb. 9, 2018
Game 1: SDSU 5, Western Michigan 0 html | PDF
Game 2: Northwestern 7, SDSU 6 (8 inn.) html | PDF
TEMPE, Ariz. - The San Diego State softball team split a doubleheader at the Kajikawa Classic Friday night in Tempe, Ariz. The Aztecs (1-3) shut out Western Michigan, 5-0, before falling to Northwestern, 7-6, in eight innings in the nightcap.
In the opener, Molly Sturdivant homered twice and Julie McDonald tossed a four-hit shutout in SDSU's 5-0 win over the Broncos.
Sturdivant broke open a scoreless game with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning and followed with a two-run homer in the fifth to provide all the offense San Diego State need. She also drew a walk in the game.
Shelby Thompson added two hits and an RBI, while Jordyn Fick added the team's other RBI on a single.
McDonald (1-0), meanwhile, arguably had the best game of her career in the circle for the Aztecs, allowing just four hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings, while striking out three. It was her second career solo shutout.
In the nightcap, the Aztecs rallied from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game and force extra innings, but eventually fell, 7-6, to the Wildcats (1-1) in eight frames.
Down, 5-0, SDSU got on the scoreboard in the third inning when Sturdivant's single plated Zaria Meshack.
In the fourth, Meshack's fielder's choice grounder scored Aris Metcalfe before San Diego State loaded the bases with two outs for Katie Byrd, who promptly cleared the bases with a double to right-center field.
The Aztecs had plenty of chances later in the game, but could not come up with the winning play, leaving two on in the fourth, fifth and sixth, and bases loaded in the seventh. In all, SDSU left 14 runners on base in the game.
With the international tiebreaker in effect in the eighth inning, NU scored twice thanks to a pair of San Diego State errors.
The Aztecs got one back in the bottom of the eighth when Byrd scored on an error, but left runners on the corners to end the game.
Freshmen Taylor Adams and Kelsey Munoz each had two hits apiece to pace SDSU, while Byrd had the bases loaded double, a run and three walks. Sturdivant and Kiera Wright each added a hit and walk.
Alex Formby (0-2) was the tough luck loser, allowing two unearned runs on just one hit, one walk and a hit batter over seven innings. She struck out a career-high nine batters. Marissa Moreno started for San Diego State and yielded five runs on four hits and two walks in an inning.
THE NOTE
Molly Sturdivant homered twice in the opener, her first time with multiple home runs in the same game. She now ranks in a tie for ninth place (Jaylene Ignacio, 2014-17) for the most home runs in school history (16).
THE NOTE II The Aztecs left 14 runners on base in the nightcap against Northwestern, their most in a game since also leaving 14 on at UNLV on March 25, 2016 and matching their most since leaving 15 on at Colorado State on April 18, 2015.
UP NEXT
SDSU continues its play in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., with a single game against Nebraska at 2 p.m. MT (1 p.m. PT) Saturday.
Game 1: San Diego State 5, Western Michigan 0
San Diego State 000 220 1 -- 5 10 1
Western Michigan (1-2) 000 000 0 -- 0 4 0
McDonald and Sturdivant; Stefanick, Kurth (5) and Sleeman
W - McDonald, 1-0; L - Stefanick, 0-1
HR: San Diego State, Sturdivant 2 (2)
Game 2: Northwestern 7, San Diego State 6 (8 innings)
Northwestern (1-1) 500 000 02 -- 7 5 3
San Diego State (1-3) 001 400 01 -- 6 7 2
Wilkey, Bond (4), Winegarner (7) and Nettling; Moreno, Formby (2) and Sturdivant
W - Winegarner, 1-1; L - Formby, 0-2
HR: Northwestern, Wilkey (1)