CLEARWATER, FLA. – San Diego State softball is in The Sunshine State this weekend for the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Presented by EvoShield. SDSU opened up the event on Friday with games against No. 14/12 Alabama and RV/- Wichita State. After allowing Alabama to score in the first, the Aztecs shut them out the rest of the way and crossed the plate four times for a 4-1 victory. In the second game, SDSU started out down 1-0 again before going up 3-1 heading into the seventh inning. After the Shockers tied the game, Grace Uribe walked it off for San Diego State in the bottom of the inning to win 4-3 and sweep the doubleheader.
In the bottom of the first, Audrey Vandagriff led off with a bunt single for the Crimson Tide. She stole second and advanced to third on a groundout before Brooke Ellestad knocked her in with a single to left to put Alabama on the board first.
Quinn Waiki led off the third inning with a single back up the middle for San Diego State’s first hit. She moved to third on a pair of groundouts, but the Aztecs were unable to bring her in, stranding her there.
In the top of the fourth, San Diego State rallied with two outs. Olivia Gigante was hit by a pitch and moved up to second on a bunt single by Lala Macario. Mia Rodriguez ran for Gigante and came around to score on a single back up the middle off the bat of Angie Yellen. However, Yellen was thrown out trying to move up to second to end the inning. Ellestad singled to begin the bottom of the frame, but the next hitter grounded to Waiki at short for a double play and Cece Cellura struck out Mari Hubbard to end the inning.
An inning later, the Aztecs moved in front thanks to more two-out hitting. Bella Espinoza singled through the left side before Jazmin Williams doubled to left center to score her from second. In the bottom of the inning, Cellura struck out Riley Valentine to begin the inning, but Kali Heivilin tripled into the right field corner. Abby Duchscherer was hit by a pitch and run for by Kinley Pate. Cellura struck out the next hitter. Pate stole second to put two runners in scoring position before Cellura induced a groundout to first to escape the jam. Macario and Yellen each singled in the bottom of the fifth but were left on base.
Dee Dee Hernandez entered for Cellura in the sixth. Cellura limited the Crimson Tide to one run on four hits and no walks over five innings while striking out three to earn the win. Hernandez struck out the first hitter she faced, Larissa Preuitt, and worked around a two-out double, Alabama’s first two-out hit of the game, to keep the Tide off the board.
San Diego State added on in the seventh. Kate Farren led off with a walk and was followed by another from Espinoza. Grace Uribe walked as well with one away to load the bases for Cali Decker. Decker hit a ground ball to second and Heivilin threw home but everyone was safe, and the Aztecs extended their lead to 3-1. Shannon Cunningham hit a deep fly ball to right field that scored Espinoza from third to make it 4-1. In the bottom of the frame, Valentine bunted for a single and advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch, but Hernandez responded by getting a flyout before striking out Duchscherer and Marlie Giles to finish off the Crimson Tide. Hernandez struck out three over the final two scoreless innings, allowing just a pair of hits as she claimed SDSU’s first save of the season.
In the second game of the day, Uribe took the circle for the Aztecs. Wichita State loaded up the bases with two outs in the first on a single, an error and a hit by pitch. Uribe was able to get a popout to Farren at first to end the frame without a run crossing the plate. In the bottom of the inning, Bella Espinoza led off with a walk but was caught stealing on a close play at second. Uribe stroked a two-out single through the left side and advanced to second on a Decker infield single. However, a strikeout ended the inning.
Sophie Johnson singled to lead off the second for Wichita State. She moved to second on a bunt and third on a wild pitch. After a walk put runners on the corners, Uribe got Ellee Eck to ground to first base and Farren fired home to get Johnson at the plate. Another groundout ended the inning.
The Shockers got on the board first in the third on a solo home run to left center by Taylor Sedlacek. The next hitter walked before a pair of strikeouts ended the inning.
Dee Dee Hernandez took over in the fifth inning. Uribe allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three. Hernandez allowed a leadoff single but worked a scoreless inning. The Aztecs tied things up in the bottom of the frame. Macario singled to open things up and moved to second on a bunt before advancing to third on a groundout. Jade Ignacio legged out an infield single to shortstop as Macario crossed the plate to tie the game. Espinoza singled later in the inning, but nothing came of it.
SDSU took the lead in the sixth. Uribe walked and was run for by Julie Holcomb. Holcomb stole second and came around to score when Cali Decker doubled into the right field corner. Decker was driven in when Waiki singled to left as San Diego State added a critical insurance run.
Hernandez started the seventh inning in the circle. After two singles began the inning for the Shockers, Cece Cellura came in to pitch. One run scored on an error before a double by Jodie Epperson tied the game at three, leaving runners on second and third with no outs. Both runners were tagged out on a 5-2-5-2-6 double play before Cellura punched out Sami Hood to end the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Espinoza led off with another single and moved into scoring position on a Jazmin Williams single. Uribe reentered the game and drove the ball back up the middle to score Espinoza from second and complete the victory.
THE NOTE
In the opening game of the day, Dee Dee Hernandez earned her 13th career save. It broke her tie with Alex Formby and Celena Velasquez for the most saves in SDSU history.
UP NEXT
SDSU is back in action on Saturday with two more games. The Aztecs face No. 16/16 Missouri at 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. PT) and Virginia at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT). San Diego State wraps up the weekend against Charlotte at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Sunday.
San Diego State 4, No. 14/12 Alabama 1
San Diego State (4-2) 000 110 2 – 4 7 0
Alabama (4-2) 100 000 0 – 1 6 2
W – Cellura, 1-1; L – Riley, 2-1; S – D. Hernandez (1)
HR: None
San Diego State 4, Wichita State 3
Wichita State (5-3) 001 000 2 – 3 7 0
San Diego State (5-2) 000 012 1 – 4 10 2
W – Cellura, 2-1; L – Barber, 2-2
HR: Sedlacek, WSU (2)