LONG BEACH, Calif. – Alexa Schultz singled home Summer Hargett in the bottom of the 11th inning to give San Diego State a 6-5 win over Cal State Fullerton at the Louisville Slugger Classic Friday afternoon at LBSU Softball Complex. It is the second time this season that the Aztecs (15-9) have defeated the Titans (13-9) in extra innings.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect since the eighth inning, SDSU held CSF scoreless in the top of the 11th when Zoe Richard was called out on a throw from San Diego State first baseman Taylor Adams to third baseman Maddi Ayers. Pitcher Maggie Balint then retired the next two batters he faced to give the Aztecs a chance in their next at-bat.
Hargett was placed at second in the 11th and advanced to third on an interference call. Schultz then took a 3-2 pitch to right field to give SDSU the 6-5 win.
San Diego State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when Shelby Thompson's double to right-center scored Sara Lillie and a Jillian Celis infield single plated Thompson.
Cal State Fullerton got on the scoreboard in the fourth as a double by Deshea Hill scored Amanda Foglesong.
The Titans took their first lead in the sixth as Richard rove in Janelle Rodriguez with a double and later scored on an Aztec wild pitch.
SDSU, however, tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Lillie scored on a fielding error by CSF shortstop Sam Kennedy.
San Diego State appeared poised to win in the seventh as Taylor Adams got to second base on another Kennedy error, but Cal State Fullerton relief pitcher Sophie Frost struck out three Aztecs - Kiera Wright, Sadie Langlet and Lillie - in succession to force extra innings.
The Titans struck first in the eighth as Irie Siofele scored a sacrifice fly by Richard.
Down to its last out in the eighth and with Lillie on third base, Schultz singled to right field to tie the game up at 4-4.
After neither team took advantage of the international tiebreaker in the ninth, CSF jumped on top in the 10th as an infield single by Julia Valenzuela scored Kennedy. Cal State Fullerton ended up loading the bases in the inning, but Balint (7-4) got out of the jam by getting Richard to ground into a double play to end the frame.
SDSU tied it up once again in the bottom of the 10th when Lillie's double scored Wright, setting up another big hit by Schultz in the 11th.
Lillie led the San Diego State offense by going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, three runs and two walks. Schultz also came up big with the game-tying RBI single in the eighth and the game-winning single in the 11th.
Balint got the win after allowing two unearned runs on one hit and three walks over six innings of relief, while striking out five. Hannah Johnson got the start against her former team and surrendered one run on five hits over four innings, striking out one. Marissa Moreno, meanwhile, gave up two runs on three hits in an inning of relief.
THE NOTE
The Aztecs picked up their second extra-inning victory of the season against the Titans after winning, 3-2, in eight innings on Feb. 14 at SDSU Softball Stadium.
THE NOTE II
SDSU improved to 11-1 on the season when scoring first.
STAT OF THE DAY
San Diego State improved to 14-1 on the year when leading at any point in the game.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs continue their play in the Louisville Slugger Classic Saturday with games against Cal Poly (9 a.m. PT) and Boston Univ. (11:30 a.m. PT) on Saturday in Los Angeles (at UCLA).
San Diego State 6, Cal State Fullerton 5
Cal State Fullerton (13-9) 000 102 010 10 -- 5 9 2
San Diego State (15-9) 020 001 010 11 -- 6 7 0
Martinez, Frost (6) and Valenzuela; Johnson, Moreno (5), Balint (6) and Langlet
W - Balint, 7-4; L - Frost, 4-2
SDSU Edges Cal State Fullerton, 6-5, in 11 innings
