CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – After falling to No. 19/19 Oregon on Friday to open the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, San Diego State softball had a prime opportunity to get back in the win column on Saturday. The Aztecs started out against UC Santa Barbara at 5 p.m. SDSU scored three times in the second inning and Dee Dee Hernandez pitched a complete game shutout in a 4-0 victory over the Gauchos. Next up for San Diego State, the UC Riverside Highlanders. The Aztecs crossed the plate twice in the first inning on their way to a 4-1 win to finish the 2-0 day.
Bella Espinoza started the Aztecs off with a single in the bottom of the first against UCSB. She stole second base and moved up to third on a groundout but was unable to score.
The Gauchos got their first hit of the game against Aztec starter Hernandez when Bella Fuentes singled in the second, but Hernandez kept UCSB off the board. Jazmin Williams began the bottom of the frame with a double to right center. She moved up to third on a wild pitch. Lala Macario walked and stole second to put two runners in scoring position for Angie Yellen, who singled back up the middle to drive in Williams and Macario while Yellen advanced to second on the throw. She stole third. It appeared Julie Holcomb had an RBI single back up the middle, but the umpires ruled a no pitch. Yellen scored regardless when Espinoza singled through the right side.
San Diego State added on in the fourth. Angie Yellen bunted for a single with one out. Quinn Waiki singled and advanced all the way to third as Yellen tried to score but was thrown out at home on a relay. Holcomb hit a grounder back to the pitcher and beat the throw to first, allowing Yellen to score to make it a 4-0 Aztec lead.
The Aztecs loaded the bases in the fifth inning with a Decker single, Cunningham reaching on an error and a Macario single. However, a strikeout ended the inning without a run crossing the plate.
Following a one-out single by UC Santa Barbara’s Tehya Banks in the sixth, Hernandez got Jazzy Santos to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Hernandez came back out for the seventh inning. The leadoff hitter, Erin Mendoza, reached on an error. Ainsley Waddell walked to put two on. Hernandez responded by getting a popup and two groundouts from the next three hitters to end the ballgame with a 4-0 victory.
In the second game of the day, Ava Schaffel followed Hernandez with another strong performance in the circle. She retired the Highlanders in order in the first with two strikeouts. The Aztec offense carried its momentum over from the first game. Espinoza led off with a single. She scored right away on a double by Uribe to right field. Decker singled, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Decker was thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice, but Uribe was able to score on the play to make it 2-0.
Schaffel had a strikeout in a scoreless inning in both the second and third. Espinoza led off the third with another single, stealing second base and advancing to third on an Uribe groundout. Decker singled back up the middle to score Espinoza and increase the lead to 3-0.
The Aztec starter capped off her performance with two more scoreless innings, spreading out three hits over five shutout frames while striking out six. The freshman still has yet to allow a run through 17 innings in her collegiate career.
In the bottom of the fifth, Espinoza singled to get things started. She stole second and third before Decker walked to put runners on the corners. Espinoza crossed the plate, scoring on a passed ball.
Uribe took over in the circle in the sixth inning. She allowed a leadoff double to Leilani Juan. Juan moved to third on a groundout. Rebeca Cabezas bunted for a single before another single by Mariana Palazuelas to left field scored Juan from third for the first run allowed by San Diego State on the day. Uribe induced a pair of groundouts to get out of the inning without any more runs crossing the plate.
The two-way player stayed in the circle for the seventh. She struck out Eta Lauti to start the frame. After a walk, a fielder’s choice accounted for the second out. Uribe got revenge by striking out Juan to end the game with a 4-1 Aztec win.
THE NOTE
Dee Dee Hernandez threw the first complete game shutout of her career in the first game of the day. It was also her first time pitching any complete game. Before Saturday, Hernandez had only thrown more than five innings in a game once in her career, when she pitched 6.2 innings and allowed two runs at Fresno State on March 27, 2022.
THE NOTE II
San Diego State’s seven stolen bases against UC Riverside were tied for the second most in a game in program history. The Aztecs have swiped seven bags in a game on three previous occasions (April 1, 2023 vs. San Jose State, March 6, 2021 vs. California Baptist, February 16, 2013 vs. Notre Dame). The record of eight came on May 21, 2004, in a 6-0 win against Buffalo.
THE NOTE III
Bella Espinoza stole three bases against UC Riverside to tie the program single-game record and her career-high. The feat was last accomplished in 2022, when Alexa Schultz swiped three bags against Boise State and Espinoza did so against California Baptist.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs finish the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Sunday. SDSU will play Saint Mary’s at 11 a.m. and Hawai’i at 1 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on FloCollege.
No. 25/23 San Diego State 4, UC Santa Barbara 0
UC Santa Barbara (9-5) 000 000 0 – 0 2 1
San Diego State (9-3) 030 100 X – 4 10 1
W – Hernandez, 2-1; L – Johnson, 4-2
HR: None
No. 25/23 San Diego State 4, UC Riverside 1
UC Riverside (7-10) 000 001 0 – 1 6 1
San Diego State (10-3) 201 010 X – 4 6 0
W – Schaffel, 2-0; L – Heinlin, 2-4
HR: None