LOS ANGELES – San Diego State picked up a pair of shutout victories at the Louisville Slugger Classic Saturday afternoon at UCLA's Easton Stadium. The Aztecs (17-9) first run-ruled Cal Poly, 9-0, in five innings before edging 2019 NCAA tournament team Boston Univ., 1-0, in the second game.
In the opener, SDSU scored three times in the top of the first inning, once in the second and five runs in the fourth in the 9-0 win.
San Diego State outhit the Mustangs (10-10), 10-5, including two hits apiece by sophomore Maddi Ayers, sophomore Sara Lillie and senior Shelby Thompson. Ayers was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored, while Lillie was 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two runs and a walk. Thompson, meanwhile, was 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a walk.
Juniors Taylor Adams (1-for-2, R, BB) and Alexa Schultz (1-for-3, RBI, R, HBP), and freshmen Sadie Langlet (0-for-1, R, BB, HBP) and Jillian Celis (1-for-2, RBI, BB) also reached base safely twice in the game for the Aztecs.
The offense was plenty for the 1-2 punch of sophomore Hannah Johnson and freshman Karina Faasisila, who combined on the five-hit shutout. Johnson (5-1) earned the start and allowed just one hit and a walk over 3 1/3 innings, striking out one. Faasisila pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, giving up four hits.
In the nightcap, SDSU came out on top over the Terriers (12-6) in a pitchers' duel between San Diego State's Maggie Balint and BU's Ali DuBois.
Balint (8-4) allowed just five hits (all singles), two walks and two hit batters over the complete game shutout, striking out three. DuBois (8-5), meanwhile, gave up one run on just two hits (both singles), two walks and a hit batter, while striking out nine.
The lone run of the game came in the top of the first inning when Schultz singled up the middle with the bases loaded to score Adams. DuBois, however, got Boston out of the inning by striking out Ayers looking and Summer Hargett swinging.
The Terriers had a chance to score in the bottom of the second when Jen Horita led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a groundout. Balint then walked Patricia Dun, but Dun was caught in a rundown trying to steal second.
BU had a two-out rally in the third with consecutive singles by Aliyah Huerta-Leipner and Marina Sylvestri, but Balint struck out Kali Magane looking to get out of the inning.
Boston again got a runner into scoring position in the fourth when Amodio was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a passed ball. But once again, Balint came up big when she struck out Dun swinging to keep the Terriers off the scoreboard.
BU's biggest threat came in the sixth when it loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a hit batter. Balint, however, got Allison Boaz to pop up to Celis at second base and Lizzy Avery to pop out to Adams at first to get out of the jam.
Balint then retired Boston in order in the seventh to finish the shutout.
For the game, the Terriers were just 2-for-12 (.167) against Balint with runners on base and 0-for-7 (.000) with runners in scoring position. The Aztecs also struggled against DuBois, going 1-for-10 (.100) with runners on base and 1-for-9 (.111) with runners in scoring position.
Lillie and Schultz had SDSU's two hits, while Adams reached base safely twice via walk and hit by pitch.
THE NOTE
San Diego State improved to 16-1 on the year when leading at any point in the game.
THE NOTE II
The Aztecs improved to 13-1 on the season when scoring first.
STAT OF THE DAY
SDSU already has six shutouts this year through 26 games. Last year San Diego State had four shutouts the whole season (51 games).
UP NEXT
The Aztecs wrap up their play in the Louisville Slugger Classic at LBSU Softball Complex in Long Beach, Calif., with games against No. 22/22 UCF (9 a.m. PT) and host Long Beach State (2 p.m. PT).
Game 1: San Diego State 9, Cal Poly 0 (5 innings)
San Diego State 310 50 -- 9 10 0
Cal Poly (10-10) 000 00 -- 0 5 2
Johnson, Faasisila (4) and Thies; Allman, Casper (4) and Amos
W - Johnson, 5-1; L - Allman, 6-3
HR: San Diego State, Lillie (2)
Game 2: San Diego State 1, Boston Univ. 0
San Diego State (17-9) 100 000 0 -- 1 2 0
Boston Univ. (12-6) 000 000 0 -- 0 5 0
Balint and Langlet; DuBois and Amodio
W - Balint, 8-4; L - DuBois, 8-5
SDSU Shuts Out Cal Poly and Boston Univ.
