SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State took advantage of a pair of Minnesota errors in the third inning and rode the arms of three pitchers in a three-hitter in a 2-1 victory Tuesday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. It was the 12th game of the season for the Aztecs (14-7) against a team that made the 2022 NCAA tournament.
The Golden Gophers (11-9) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning with a home run by Natalie DenHartog.
In the bottom of the third, Elianna Reyes replaced Alex Bunton following Bunton's walk and moved into scoring position on Makena Brocki's sacrifice bunt. Reyes then scored from second on a throwing error by Minnesota second baseman Sydney Strelow. Bella Espinoza, who reached on the error and moved to second, got to third on a Jillian Celis single and scored when Amani Bradley booted the ball in left field.
Both teams got runners into scoring position in the fourth and the Golden Gophers in the fifth, but neither got to third base the rest of the game.
Celis was 3-for-3, matching all of Minnesota's hits in the game.
Allie Light got the start in the circle for SDSU and allowed one run on three hits over four innings, while striking out three. Dee Dee Hernandez relieved Light (2-4) in the fifth and pitched two scoreless innings, giving up one walk, while striking out two. Sarah Lehman, who earlier in the day was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week, picked up her first save of the season after pitching a perfect seventh inning with one strikeout.
THE NOTE
Out of San Diego State's 14 wins, Aztec pitchers have nine saves, including five by RHP Allie Light, three by LHP Dee Dee Hernandez and one by RHP Sarah Lehman.
THE NOTE II
The Aztecs are now 6-6 on the season against teams that made the 2022 NCAA tournament.
STAT OF THE DAY
SDSU improved to 13-1 on the year when leading at any point in the game.
UP NEXT
San Diego State heads to the Louisville Slugger Invitational this weekend in Long Beach and Fullerton, California. The Aztecs are scheduled to play at Long Beach State at 5:30 p.m. PT Thursday, before heading to Cal State Fullerton for games against South Dakota (11:30 a.m. PT) and Weber State (2 p.m. PT) on Friday, and Columbia at 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday.
San Diego State 2, Minnesota 1
Minnesota (11-9) 001 000 0 -- 1 3 2
San Diego State (14-7) 002 000 x -- 2 6 1
Hambrick, Pease (3) and Krapf; Light, Hernandez (5), Lehman (7) and Decker
W - Light, 2-4; L - Hambrick, 4-4; SV - Lehman, 1
HR: Minnesota, DenHartog (4)
San Diego State Edges Minnesota, 2-1
