FULLERTON, Calif. – After dropping a pair of one-run games on Friday, the No. 23/23 San Diego State softball team had a chance to bounce back on Saturday night against the Utah Utes. On the third day of the Judi Garman Classic on the campus of Cal State Fullerton, the game was a pitchers’ duel. Neither team was able to get on the board in the first six innings. Utah scored a run on a wild pitch in the seventh and the Aztecs were unable to answer, falling 1-0.
Aztec (13-6) starter Cece Cellura allowed just one single and struck out a hitter in a scoreless first inning. Cali Decker and Shannon Cunningham singled for SDSU in the bottom of the inning as Utah (5-14) starting pitcher Hailey Maestretti kept San Diego State off the board.
Cellura retired the side in order in the second and third innings. Julie Holcomb reached in the second when she was hit by a pitch but a Maestretti got a double play to end the frame. Angie Yellen singled to open the third and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Bella Espinoza. Decker and Cunningham walked to load the bases with two outs, but Maestretti induced a flyout to end the inning.
Utah’s Hailey Deter singled in the fourth inning, but Cellura was able to prevent her from advancing and struck out Jolie Mayfield to end the inning. Julie Holcomb got on base via an error and stole second but could not go any farther.
Cellura struck out the first two hitters in the fifth inning before Shelbi Ortiz reached on an error with two outs. Cellura got pinch hitter Emily Capobianco to line out to center to prevent any damage. Grace Uribe walked with two outs in the bottom of the frame but nothing came of it.
Utah’s three hitters all grounded out in the sixth inning. Holcomb got on for the third time of the night with a single in the latter half of the inning.
Deter led off with a single in the seventh for the Utes. Mayfield reached on an error and Sianni Sakai, running for Deter, advanced all the way to third base and was called safe due to interference. Cellura struck out the next two hitters and seemed to be on her way to escaping the jam. However, a wild pitch allowed Sakai to score while Mayfield advanced to second. Ortiz lined out to first base to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Aztecs grounded out to second base three times in the bottom of the inning to end the game with a 1-0 score.
THE NOTE
Cece Cellura has thrown 19.2 innings since the Aztecs’ Tuesday night game against California Baptist. During that span, she has allowed just three earned runs while striking out 14 hitters. Her seven strikeouts against Utah were a career-high and the most by any Aztec pitcher this season.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs wrap up the Judi Garman Classic on Sunday with games against No. 12/10 Arizona at 9:30 a.m. and tournament host Cal State Fullerton at 11:45 a.m.
Utah 1, No. 23/23 San Diego State 0
Utah (5-14) 000 000 1 – 1 3 1
San Diego State (13-6) 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
W – Maestretti, 2-3; L – Cellura, 5-4
HR: None