SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State took advantage of a pair of Brigham Young errors in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally past the Cougars, 2-1, in the first game of the San Diego Classic Thursday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. It was the fourth walk-off win of the season for the Aztecs (9-7) and third victory when trailing heading into the final inning.
With runners on first and second, and one out in the seventh, pinch hitter Kylie Fraser's hard hit ball was misplayed by BYU (6-8) third baseman Taylei Williams. Fraser beat the late throw to first, which scooted past the first baseman and allowed Kayla Sok to score and tie the game at 1-1. Taylor Adams followed with a chopper to second base against a drawn-in infield, but the throw to the plate was too late as Megan Smith raced home to give SDSU the 2-1 win.
Brigham Young scored its run in the top of the third inning when Libby Sugg's sacrifice fly scored Rylee Jensen. The inning was extended after an earlier San Diego State fielding error.
Runs were hard to come by in the pitcher's duel between the 1-2 Aztec punch of Marissa Moreno and Alicia Garcia (Mira Mesa HS), and Cougar pitcher Autumn Moffat. Moreno started the game for SDSU, and allowed one unearned run on two walks and no hits over 2 1/3 innings. She struck out two before exiting with an injury.
Garcia (2-3) replaced Moreno in the third and ended up tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, yielding two hits and two walks, while striking out three. Garcia, a transfer from nearby Palomar College, set Division I career highs in innings pitched (4.2) and strikeouts (3). Garcia has not allowed a run in 8 1/3 innings, the longest stretch of her career.
On the other side, Moffat (3-4) gave up two unearned runs on three hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings, striking out three.
Molly Sturdivant had two of San Diego State's three hits.
The Aztecs resume their play in the San Diego Classic with a 7 p.m. PT Friday game against UIC.
NOTE I
Four of SDSU's nine wins on the season have been walk-off plays. It is already San Diego State's most walk-off victories in a season since 2015 (four) and matches its most since 2011 (five).
NOTE II
The Aztecs are remarkably 5-0 this year when leading after six innings and 3-4 when trailing after six innings.
STAT OF THE DAY
SDSU is 3-4 this season when trailing after six innings. From 2006-18 San Diego State was just 13-191 (.064) when trailing heading into the final inning.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs resume their play in the San Diego Classic with a game against UIC at 7 p.m. PT Friday.
San Diego State 2, Brigham Young 1
Brigham Young (6-8) 001 000 0 -- 1 2 2
San Diego State (9-7) 000 000 2 -- 2 3 1
Moffat and Sugg; Moreno, Garcia (3) and Sturdivant
W - Garcia, 2-3; L - Moffat, 3-4
Softball Rallies past Brigham Young, 2-1
