SAN DIEGO -- Shelby Thompson hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift San Diego State to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over San José State Friday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. It was the fifth walk-off victory for the Aztecs (18-21, 6-7 MW) this season.
After retiring the Spartans (26-13, 6-4 MW) in order in the top of the eighth, Thompson took a 2-0 pitch well over the left-center field fence for the game-winner. It was her second home run of the season.
SDSU trailed, 2-0, heading into the bottom of the fifth after SJSU scored once in the second on a bases loaded walk and in the fifth on a single by Janessa Ullegue.
San Diego State, however, got on the scoreboard in the fifth when Aris Metcalfe stole second base with two outs and scored on a Kristen Parker single.
The Aztecs then tied it in the sixth on a two-out single by Kelsey Munoz that plated Gaby Olivarria, setting up Thompson's dramatic homer in the eighth.
Thompson and Kiera Wright had two hits apiece for SDSU.
Alicia Garcia picked up the win in the circle for San Diego State after tossing three innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts and one hit allowed. Garcia (8-6) relieved Marissa Moreno in the sixth after a walk and later got out of a bases loaded jam by getting Ullegue to ground into a fielder's choice.
It was one of three times that either Moreno or Garcia left the bases loaded against San José State (also Moreno in the second and in the fifth). Altogether, the duo stranded 12 Spartan baserunners.
Moreno went five innings as the starter, yielding two runs on five hits and seven walks, while striking out two.
NOTE I
San Diego State picked up its fifth walk-off victory this season, its most since also recording five in the 2011 season. An incredible 27.8 percent of the Aztecs' 18 wins this season have been walk-off plays.
NOTE II
SDSU improved to 9-4 on the season in one-run games.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
San Diego State has played in back-to-back extra-inning games (also Wednesday night at San Diego) for the first time since April 15-16, 2011. In April 2011, the Aztecs first lost to Brigham Young, 1-0, in eight innings before beating the Cougars, 1-0, in eight innings the following day.
UP NEXT
SDSU looks to capture the series with San José State at 6 p.m. PT Saturday.
San Diego State 3, San José State 2 (8 innings)
San José State (26-13, 6-4 MW) 010 010 00 -- 2 6 1
San Diego State (18-21, 6-7 MW) 000 011 01 -- 3 8 0
Bowman and Avila; Moreno, Garcia (6) and Sturdivant
W - Garcia, 8-6; L - Bowman, 9-6
HR: San Diego State, Thompson (2)
Thompson’s Walk-Off Homer Lifts SDSU Past SJSU
