LOGAN, Utah – The San Diego State softball team opened its Mountain West season on Friday with a pair of games against the Utah State Aggies at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field in Logan. Despite freezing temperatures and snow, the Aztec bats were hot. SDSU exploded for 13 runs in the opening game of the day, earning a 13-8 win. In the second game of the day, San Diego State added seven more runs in the first five innings. The Aztecs led 7-4 through five innings before the game was suspended. It will conclude on Sunday.
Bella Espinoza began the day with a walk. Cali Decker followed her with a double to left, allowing Espinoza to come around and score to get the Aztecs (16-9) on the board first. In the bottom of the frame, Ariel Fifita led off with a single and scored when Giselle Gonzalez homered to center to put the Aggies (14-11) up 2-0.
The Aztecs responded in the second inning. With two outs, Quinn Waiki singled and advanced to second on a Kate Farren walk. Espinoza singled to center and Waiki rounded third base and scored on an error by Olivia Marble. Decker kept up her excellent recent play by launching a three-run home run to right center. After issuing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, Grace Uribe induced a double play and kept the Aggies off the board.
SDSU added on in the third. Uribe and Julie Holcomb each singled and Uribe scored from second when Jazmin Williams hit a single of her own. Waiki hit yet another single, allowing Holcomb to score from third and put SDSU up 7-2. A double play ended the inning without Williams crossing the plate.
In the fourth, San Diego State loaded the bases after Decker walked, Angie Yellen singled and Shannon Cunningham was hit by a pitch. Uribe scored Decker when she walked before a Holcomb sacrifice fly to left brought in Yellen. The Aggies got a run back in the bottom of the frame after Kaylee Erickson doubled down the left field line and scored on a Fifita single up the middle.
Utah State pulled within reach in the fifth inning. With one out, Grace Matej doubled and former Aztec Alex Bunton walked. After a groundout advanced both runners, Kya Pratt singled up the middle to score Matej. Another run crossed the plate when Erickson singled through the right side. Brooklyn Pritchett singled through the left side to load the bases before Fifita doubled off the wall in center field to clear the bases and make it a 9-8 game. Cece Cellura struck out Emerson Meggers to end the inning with the Aztecs on top.
Once again, SDSU responded in the next half inning. Angie Yellen homered to right center with one out to add an insurance run. Cunningham reached on an infield single, Uribe walked again, and Holcomb reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Williams walked to score Cunningham before Mia Rodriguez, running for Uribe, scored on a Waiki single. Espinoza walked to bring in Holcomb and capped off the scoring with a 13-8 score. Matej doubled and Marble singled in the bottom of the inning but Cellura kept the Aggies from scoring.
Utah State loaded the bases in the seventh, but Cellura struck out Matej to end the game.
The second hitter of the second game, Decker, homered to left field, her second long ball of the day. Cunningham walked with two outs and came around to score when Uribe doubled down the left field line. Gonzalez singled, Matej was hit by a pitch and Bunton singled to load the bases for Marble in the bottom of the frame. Marble doubled to left, scoring Gonzalez and Matej, tying the game at two.
In the third inning, Bella Espinoza led off with a single and stole second. Cunningham and Uribe each walked with two outs before a Holcomb single back up the middle scored Espinoza and Cunningham to put the Aztecs back up two with a 4-2 score. Dee Dee Hernandez retired the Aggies in order in the bottom of the frame.
SDSU rallied with two outs again in the fourth. After two quick outs, Espinoza singled and Decker and Yellen walked before a Cunningham single up the middle doubled the Aztec lead, scoring Espinoza and Decker. Utah State fought back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. Pritchett doubled to right center field before a Fifita home run to left made it 6-4.
Jade Ignacio singled with two outs in the fifth and was run for by Ally Dueker. She moved up to second when Olivia Gigante reached on an error. Kate Farren ran for Gigante. Espinoza singled back up the middle, scoring Dueker from second to extend the Aztec lead to three. Hernandez kept the Aggies off the board in the bottom of the inning before the game was suspended.
THE NOTE
SDSU’s 13 runs in the first game of the day were its most ever in a Mountain West opener. The only other time the Aztecs scored in double figures in their first game of Mountain West competition was in an 11-9 win at New Mexico on March 21, 2014.
THE NOTE II
Cali Decker homered twice in a day for the first time in her career. Previously, the only time she had homered twice in the same weekend was in the 2023 NCAA Los Angeles Regional. The last Aztec not named Mac Barbara to homer multiple times on the same day was another catcher that transferred from Florida, Danielle Romanello, who had a two-homer game against Cal Poly on February 13, 2022.
THE NOTE III
Bella Espinoza’s stolen base in the third inning of the nightcap was the 66th of her career, tying Kayla Jordan’s program record.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs and Aggies are scheduled to conclude their series with the final two innings of this game on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. MT/10:30 a.m. PT before a full game afterwards.
San Diego State 13, Utah State 8
San Diego State (16-9) 142 204 0 – 13 15 0
Utah State (14-11) 200 150 0 – 8 15 1
W – Uribe, 4-0; L – Pindel, 7-1
HR: Gonzalez, USU (9); Decker, SDSU (3); Yellen, SDSU (3)
E5: San Diego State 7, Utah State 4
San Diego State (16-9) 202 21 – 7 8 0
Utah State (14-11) 200 20 – 4 8 1
W – TBD; L – TBD
HR: Decker, SDSU (4); Fifita, USU (6)