SALT LAKE CITY -- The San Diego State softball team dropped the second game of the best-of-three series in the NCAA Super Regional at No. 15 overall seed Utah Saturday afternoon at Dumke Family Softball Stadium. With the 10-1, five-inning loss, the Aztecs (39-16) and Utes (41-14) will play at noon MT (11 a.m. PT) Sunday for the right to advance to the Women's College World Series.
A night after limiting the fourth-best hitting team in the country to just five hits, Utah had 13 off the SDSU pitchers on Saturday. The Utes broke open a 3-1 game with four runs and three in the fifth to complete the run-rule win.
Utah jumped out to a 2-0 lead before there was an out in the game as Aliya Belarde reached on an infield single and Ellessa Bonstrom followed with a home run over the right-center field wall.
San Diego State responded in the bottom of the first when Makena Brocki's single up the middle scored Bella Espinoza from second base.
Shelbi Ortiz doubled in Haley Denning in the second to put the Utes back up by two runs.
After an almost 45-minute lightning delay in the top of the third inning, Utah tried to score from second on an Abby Dayton single to center field. However, Macey Keester's throw home was caught by catcher Cali Decker, who applied the tag on pinch runner Stella Bennett to get SDSU out of the jam.
The Utes, however, didn't waste their next opportunity in the fourth as they loaded the bases on two singles and a hit by pitch. With two outs, Julia Jimenez hit a grand slam over the left-center field wall to make it a 7-1 game.
Utah finished the scoring with a three-run homer by Ortiz in the fifth.
Ute relief pitcher Sarah Ladd worked around a two-out single by Espinoza in the fifth to end the game and tie the series.
Espinoza had two of San Diego State's five hits. A night after walking six times in a 4-3 win, the Aztecs were not issued a walk on Saturday.
Sarah Lehman took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits and no walks over two innings, while striking out one. Dee Dee Hernandez gave up four runs on six hits and no walks over 1 1/3 innings without recording a strikeout. Dani Martinez pitched the final 1 1/3 innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and no walks without a strikeout.
THE NOTE
LHP Dee Dee Hernandez gave up four runs on a grand slam, snapping her streak of 21 scoreless innings, dating back to May 5 at No. 2/2 UCLA.
THE NOTE II
SDSU had its seven-game winning streak snapped. The streak was tied with Tennessee for the third-longest active streak in the country.
STAT OF THE DAY
San Diego State was run-ruled for the first time under second-year head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz. The Aztecs had run-ruled opponents 16 times since the last time they were run ruled on May 14, 2021 by Fresno State.
UP NEXT
SDSU will look to clinch a spot in the Women's College World Series Sunday when they meet Utah at noon MT (11 a.m. PT). The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
No. 15 Utah 10, San Diego State 1 (5 innings)
Utah (41-14) 210 43 -- 10 13 0
San Diego State (39-16) 100 0x -- 1 5 2
Lopez, Ladd (5) and Lundberg; Lehman, Hernandez (3), Martinez (4) and Decker
W - Lopez, 22-6; L - Lehman, 11-5
HR: Utah, Bonstrom (11), Jimenez (10), Ortiz (3)
2023 NCAA Division I Softball Championship
Super Regionals - Best-of-Three Series
Dumke Family Softball Stadium - Salt Lake City, Utah
Friday, May 26, 2023
Game 1: San Diego State 4, No. 17/14 [15] Utah 3
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Game 2: No. 17/14 [15] Utah 10, San Diego State 1 (5 innings)
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Game 3, noon MT (11 a.m. PT): San Diego State at No. 17/14 [15] Utah
SDSU Falls at No. 15 Utah in NCAA Super Regional
