March 14, 2018
SAN DIEGO -
San Diego State 9, Fairfield 1 (5 inn.)
The San Diego State softball team's bats came alive in a 9-1, five-inning victory over Fairfield Wednesday night at USD Softball Complex in San Diego. The Aztecs (9-17), who snapped a seven-game losing streak with the win, set season highs in runs (9), hits (11), RBIs (9) and doubles (3).
Shelby Thompson capped a five-run first inning for SDSU with a three-run homer to effectively put the game out of reach. Taylor Adams got San Diego State on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly that scored Megan Smith and Iesha Hill followed with a single to right field to plate Katie Byrd. Thompson then took a 1-0 pitch over the left-field wall for the three-run home run, her first of the season.
The Stags (6-9) got one back in the top of the second with on a double steal, but the Aztecs scored two more runs in the second with two outs. Byrd kept the inning alive with a single and scored on a Molly Sturdivant double. Adams followed with a single to score Sturdivant with the fifth run of the game.
SDSU added two runs in the fourth to seal the mercy-rule win as Adams once again came through, this time doubling to left field to score pinch runners Zaria Meshack and Aris Metcalfe.
Byrd was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI, while Adams was 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs and a sacrifice fly. Hill, meanwhile, was 2-for-2 with two RBIs, a run and a walk, and Sturdivant had an RBI double, run and walk.
San Diego State pitched all three of its pitchers in its final game before conference season starts. Alex Formby got the start and win, allowing one run on three hits over three innings, striking out four. Julie McDonald (1.0 IP, 1 H) and Marissa Moreno (1.0 IP, 1 H) also pitched for the Aztecs.
NOTE I
SDSU won its 30th consecutive game when scoring at least nine runs.
NOTE II
San Diego State picked up its first run-rule victory of the season and are now 1-1 on the year in run-rule games.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs continue their nine-game road trip this weekend with their Mountain West opening series at San José State. SDSU and the Spartans will play Friday, Saturday and Sunday at noon PT at Mission College in Santa Clara, Calif.
San Diego State 9, Fairfield 1 (5 innings)
Fairfield (6-9) 010 00 -- 1 5 0
San Diego State (9-17) 520 2x -- 9 11 2
Hughen, Rhinehart (2) and Hankins, Robinson (3); Formby, McDonald (4), Moreno (5) and Sturdivant
W - Formby, 6-7; L - Hughen, 0-5
HR: San Diego State, Thompson (1)