FULLERTON, Calif. -- The San Diego State softball team swept a pair of games for a second straight day Saturday at the Louisville Slugger Invitational at Anderson Family Field. The Aztecs (13-11) rallied in both games with runs in the top of the seventh inning, first beating North Dakota, 2-1, and then defeating host Cal State Fullerton, 5-4.
In the opener, SDSU waited until the top of the seventh to get things going, but Lala Macario came through with a two-out, two-run double to put San Diego State on top.
Katie Goldberg drew a one-out walk and Bella Espinoza followed with an infield single. Kate Farren ran for Goldberg at second and Jade Ignacio had a pinch-hit single, but Farren was called out for leaving the base early. Macario doubled on a 3-2 pitch as Espinoza and Macey Keester, who re-entered for Ignacio, both scored for the first lead of the game for the Aztecs.
Dee Dee Hernandez worked around a single and a walk in the bottom of the seventh by striking out Izzy Haslett to end the game.
Espinoza had two of SDSU's five hits in the game, while Goldberg singled and walked.
Hernandez (3-2) picked up the win pitching four scoreless innings of relief, allowing three hits and a walk, while striking out one. Cassidy West earned the start and gave up one run on five hits and a hit batter over three innings.
In the nightcap, San Diego State trailed the Titans (13-10), 4-2, after three innings, but tied it in the fifth and took the lead for good in the seventh.
The Aztecs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Makena Brocki's double scored Goldberg.
SDSU doubled its lead in the third as Cali Decker singled in Kate Farren.
CSF, however, scored four times in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of seven of its 10 hits in the game.
After leaving two runners on base in the fourth, San Diego State tied it in the fifth. Mac Barbara led off with a walk and Decker followed with a triple to right-center field. After back-to-back outs, Goldberg reached on an error, which allowed Decker to score from third.
In the seventh, the Aztecs loaded the bases with walks to Barbara, Angie Yellen and Goldberg. With two outs, Brocki singled to center field to plate Yellen with the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run.
Allie Light then retired Cal State Fullerton in order to secure the SDSU win.
Brocki and Decker were each 2-for-4 with two RBIs for San Diego State, which had nine hits in the game. Goldberg added a single and a walk, while Barbara walked three times.
Light (6-6) picked up the win after pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and no walks, while striking out three. Cece Cellura started and yielded four runs on five hits and no walks over 2 1/3 innings, striking out one.
THE NOTE
RHP Cece Cellura had her career-long scoreless streak snapped at 18 innings after Cal State Fullerton scored four times in the bottom of the third inning.
THE NOTE II
The Aztecs improved 5-3 on the season in one-run games.
STAT OF THE DAY
SDSU is now 6-1 on the season against teams from California with the lone loss coming in the opener against No. 3/3 Stanford (L, 3-0) on Feb. 8.
UP NEXT
San Diego State begins Mountain West play next weekend with a home series against Utah State, beginning at 6 p.m. PT Friday.
Game 1: San Diego State 2, North Dakota 1
San Diego State 000 000 2 -- 2 5 1
North Dakota (5-21) 001 000 0 -- 1 8 0
West, Hernandez (4) and Decker; Albrecht and Castaneda
W - Hernandez, 3-2; L - Albrecht, 1-8
Game 2: San Diego State 5, Cal State Fullerton 4
San Diego State (13-11) 011 020 1 -- 5 9 1
Cal State Fullerton (13-10) 004 000 0 -- 4 10 1
Cellura, Light (3) and Decker; Chambers, Rainey (3), Garcia (6) and Alcala, Lopez (6)
W - Light, 6-6; L - Garcia, 0-3
San Diego State Sweeps Again on Saturday
