SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State swept a doubleheader over New Mexico to kick off its weekend series Saturday afternoon at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (24-13, 9-8 MW) clinched their fourth straight series with a 3-0 win in the opener and an 11-4 triumph in the nightcap.
SDSU has now won 10 of its last 12 games.
In the opener, Maggie Balint tossed a five-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in a 3-0 San Diego State victory. All five hits were singles against Balint (14-6), who also allowed two walks and hit a batter. It was her sixth solo shutout of the season.
The Aztecs scored two runs in the bottom of the third without recording a hit (sacrifice fly by Jillian Celis and bases loaded hit by pitch to Danielle Romanello) before later adding an RBI single by Shelby Thompson to score Riley Thies in the sixth.
Thompson had a hit, walk and stolen base for SDSU, which was outhit, 5-4, in the game. Thies scored a pair of runs with a walk and a stolen base, while Sadie Langlet had two walks.
In the nightcap, San Diego State trailed, 4-1, but scored the final 10 runs of the game, including four in the fifth and six in the sixth, for an 11-4 victory.
Six players had two hits apiece for the Aztecs, who outhit the Lobos (6-33, 5-12 MW), 13-6, in the game, including Taylor Adams (2B, 4 RBI), Romanello (2 RBI, R, HBP), Jeweliana Perez (2 RBI, R), Sara Lillie (2 RBI, R), Thompson (2 R, 2B) and Langlet (2 R, HBP).
UNM jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two runs in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly in the third.
SDSU got on the scoreboard in the fourth when a single up the middle by Perez plated Brocki.
New Mexico got that run back in the fifth as Cameron O'Grady walked and Andrea Howard followed with a triple. Howard would stay at third, however, as San Diego State starting pitcher Marissa Moreno got Rachael Hathoot to pop up to Thompson at second base and Izabella Owen to line out to Siess in center field.
The Aztecs then went to work in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four times on four hits, leading to three Lobo pitching changes. Romanello first drove in Thompson with a single through the right side. Perez followed with a fielder's choice grounder to plate Lillie. After Perez stole second, Adams ripped a double to right-center field to knock in both Langlet and Perez, giving SDSU a 5-4 lead.
After Balit worked around a two-out double by Lauren Wilmert in the top of the sixth, San Diego State put the game out of reach with six runs in the sixth on six hits and a walk. Jillian Celis first scored Nicole Siess on a fielder's choice and Lille followed with a two-run single to plate Thompson and Celis. Romanello later singled in Elianna Reyes and Adams ripped a single to knock in Langley and Romanello. With Perez on third and still no outs, it appeared the Aztecs would complete the run-rule victory, but UNM somehow extended the game by retiring the next three SDSU batters.
Balint gave up a one-out single in the seventh but got Howard to line out to Lillie in right field and Hathoot to ground out to Perez at third base to end the game.
Moreno (5-4) picked up the win after allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks over five innings, while striking out two. Balint earned her second save of the season, allowing two hits over two scoreless innings, striking out one.
THE NOTE
San Diego State has won four consecutive three-game series for the first time since the 2016 season.
THE NOTE II
RHP Maggie Balint recorded her sixth solo shutout of the season, the most by an Aztec pitcher since Danielle O'Toole had seven in 2014.
STAT OF THE DAY
In the second game, SDSU won its 59th consecutive game when scoring at least 10 runs.
UP NEXT
San Diego State looks for the series sweep against New Mexico at noon PT Sunday.
Game 1: San Diego State 3, New Mexico 0
New Mexico 000 000 0 -- 0 5 2
San Diego State 002 001 x -- 3 4 0
Guindon and Wilmert; Balint and Romanello
W - Balint, 14-6; L - Guindon, 5-19
Game 2: San Diego State 11, New Mexico 4
New Mexico (6-33, 5-12 MW) 201 010 0 -- 4 6 2
San Diego State (24-13, 9-8 MW) 000 146 x -- 11 13 1
Roberts, Hannappel (5), Roberts (5), Sanchez (5), Spencer (6) and Wilmert; Moreno, Balint (6) and Romanello
W - Moreno, 5-4; L - Hannappel, 0-4; SV - Balint, 2
Softball Sweeps a Doubleheader with New Mexico
