SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State swept a doubleheader with UNLV on a wet Wednesday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (26-11, 10-4 MW) shut out the Rebels (19-20, 5-9 MW), 6-0, in the opener before winning, 5-1, in the nightcap.
In the opener, SDSU got a complete game, two-hit shutout from Sarah Lehman and had 10 hits on offense in a 6-0 victory.
Lehman (9-3) tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, including 10 in the first four innings, and gave up just two hits and three walks. Lehman had a no-hitter through 4 2/3 innings before Skyler Shaw singled through the left side. The 11 strikeouts were the most by San Diego State pitcher this year.
Mac Barbara was 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBIs and two walks, while Bella Espinoza was 4-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base. AJ Murphy added an RBI single, run and walk, while Cali Decker doubled, walked and scored a run.
Barbara's two-run homer in the third to get the Aztecs on the scoreboard and Makena Brocki later hit a two-run triple with two outs to give SDSU a 4-0 lead.
SDSU added two runs in the fourth, recording four hits with two outs on singles by Espinoza, Celis, Barbara (RBI) and Murphy (RBI).
UNLV got only one runner into scoring position against Lehman as Maddie Schmidt led off the sixth and moved to second one batter later on an Ariana Martinez walk. Lehman, however, got Denise Armendariz to ground into a double play.
After San Diego State stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the sixth, Lehman retired the Rebels in order in the seventh to clinch the Aztec shutout.
UNLV took a 1-0 lead in the second game on a leadoff homer by Armendariz in the top of the second inning, but SDSU scored four times in the bottom of the second and added another run for a 5-1 victory in a steady rain for most of the game.
In the second, San Diego State quickly loaded the bases on a Decker single, and walks to Brocki and Jeweliana Perez. After Alexis Otero grounded into a fielder's choice that got Decker out at home, Macey Keester laced a single up the middle to score Brocki and Perez. Perez and Keester moved up a base on a wild pitch, and Espinoza drew a walk to loaded the bases once again. Celis hit a deep fly ball to right-center field that was caught by right fielder Shaw, which allowed Otero to easily score from third and a heads-up Keester to race all the way home from second to put the Aztecs up, 4-1.
The Rebels attempted to answer in the third as Jasmine Martin walked and Schmidt reached on a bunt single. SDSU catcher Cali Decker, however, picked off Martin at second, and San Diego State pitcher Allie Light got out of the inning with a flyout and a fielder's choice grounder.
Janyssa Martin hit a one-out double in the fourth for UNLV and moved to third on a Sophia Morales ground out, but was stranded at third when Light (8-40 got Kelsie Kelso to ground out back to her in the circle.
Barbara led off the fifth with her second home run of the night and 10th of the season to stretch the Aztec lead to 5-1.
The Rebels had two more hits in the sixth but were left stranded as Light got pinch hitter Lauryn Barker to weakly pop back up to her in the circle.
UNLV's last chance in the seventh off SDSU reliever Dee Dee Hernandez saw two runners get on (strikeout-wild pitch and walk), but struck out Visser looking and got Martinez to fly out to Espinoza in left field to end the game.
Light got the win after allowing one run on six hits and a walk over six innings, while striking out three. Hernandez yielded a walk in one inning of relief.
Keester had two of San Diego State's five hits, and added two RBIs and a run. Brocki drew two walks and scored a run.
THE NOTE
The Aztecs improved to 17-1 on the season when scoring at least five runs and 13-0 when scoring six or more runs.
THE NOTE II
RHP Sarah Lehman's 11 strikeouts matched the most of her career, equaling an 11-strikeout game against St. Thomas while pitching for DePaul on Feb. 12, 2022.
STAT OF THE DAY
SDSU have won its last 41 games when leading after six innings (19-0 this season).
UP NEXT
San Diego State heads to Nevada for single games on Saturday (2 p.m. PT) and Sunday (noon PT).
Game 1: San Diego State 6, UNLV 0
UNLV 000 000 0 -- 0 2 1
San Diego State 004 200 x -- 6 10 0
Thiede, Jolin (4), Fontes (6) and Schmaltz; Lehman and Decker
W - Lehman, 9-3; L - Thiede, 4-5
HR: San Diego State, Barbara (9)
Game 2: San Diego State 5, UNLV 1
UNLV (19-20, 5-9 MW) 010 000 0 -- 1 6 0
San Diego State (26-11, 10-4 MW) 040 010 x -- 5 5 1
Zellien, Martin (2) and Vollmer; Light, Hernandez (7) and Decker, Ignacio (6)
W - Light, 8-4; L - Zellien, 5-6
HR: UNLV, Armanderiz (7); San Diego State, Barbara (10)