LA JOLLA, Calif. -- San Diego State scored the first four runs of the game and held back a late UC San Diego rally in a 4-3 victory Wednesday night at Triton Softball Field. The Aztecs won their 30th game of the season and are now 30-12 overall.
Danielle Romanello was 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBIs and a walk for SDSU, which held a slight 7-6 advantage in hits against the Tritons (20-21).
San Diego State scored two runs in the top of the first inning, including an RBI single by Romanello that plated Mac Barbara and an AJ Murphy groundout that scored Alexa Schultz.
Romanello led off the fourth with a solo homer, her fourth of the season.
The Aztecs added what proved to be a big run in the sixth as Jessica Cordola's pinch-hit singled knocked in Macey Keester.
After allowing just two baserunners through the first five innings, UCSD finally put together a good inning in the sixth. UC San Diego used four hits and a wild pitch to get on the scoreboard, including an RBI single by Isabel Lavrov and a two-run single by Clarissa Reynoso. Maggie Balint relieved Allie Light and, following a nine-pitch walk to Marissa Hassis, struck out Alexa DeMarse to get out of the jam.
In the seventh, Balint struck out Rilley Erickson and Mikaila Pancino swinging before allowing a two-out single by Keila Bosinger. Balint finished the game in style by striking out Deena Pederson looking to finish with her sixth save of the season.
Dani Martinez started the game for SDSU and gave up one hit in three scoreless innings, while striking out one. Light (5-2) earned the win, giving up three runs on four hits over 2 2/3 innings of relief, striking out six. Balint came on in the sixth and struck out four in 1 1/3 innings, giving up one hit and a walk to notch the save.
Barbara reached twice in the game on a double and a walk to extend her reached base safely streak to 36 consecutive games, the longest streak in the country this year (overall or active).
THE NOTE
RHP Maggie Balint picked up her sixth save of the year, which is tied with Samantha Beasley (2009), Celena Velasquez (2005) and Bre DeSanta (2002) for the most in SDSU single-season history.
THE NOTE II
San Diego State improved to 8-7 on the season in one-run games. Each of the Aztecs' last three games have been one-run affairs with SDSU winning all three.
STAT OF THE DAY
The Aztecs reached 30 wins in a season for the first time since 2017. SDSU had 12 consecutive 30-win campaigns prior from 2006-17.
UP NEXT
San Diego State resumes Mountain West play with a road series at San Jose State from April 29-May 1.
San Diego State 4, UC San Diego 3
San Diego State (30-12) 200 101 0 -- 4 7 0
UC San Diego (20-21) 000 003 0 -- 3 5 0
Martinez, Light (3), Balint (6) and Barbara; Thompson, Simpson (3), Williams (4), Cecil (5) and Reynoso, Demarse (6)
W - Light, 5-2; L - Thompson, 0-2; SV - Balint, 6
HR: San Diego State, Romanello (4)
Aztecs Down UC San Diego, 4-3, for 30th Win
