SAN DIEGO – Following Friday night’s 1-0 win over New Mexico, the San Diego State softball team was looking to clinch the series against the Lobos on Saturday at SDSU Softball Stadium. SDSU scored a run in the second and New Mexico responded with two in the third, but the Aztecs shut out the Lobos the rest of the game and scored five more runs including three on a home run by Shannon Cunningham in the fifth inning to earn a 6-2 win.
In the first inning, Grace Uribe retired the Lobos (16-15-1, 2-3 Mountain West) in order while Angie Yellen singled in the bottom half of the inning for the Aztecs (20-10, 4-1).
New Mexico got two runners on in the second when Allie Williams doubled and Sydney Carithers walked, but Uribe got a flyout and a groundout to keep UNM off the board. Jade Ignacio tripled to center to start the second for the Aztecs and scored on a wild pitch with two outs to take a 1-0 lead. Quinn Waiki also reached base on a walk.
The Lobos rallied in the third inning. Hayden Luderer started with a single to right and Ashley Archuleta bunted for a single to put two runners on. Luderer stole third while Archuleta moved up to second on a wild pitch. Miracle McKenzie hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Luderer while Archuleta crossed the plate on an RBI single by Jessica DeLeon. Williams and Carithers both walked to load the bases with two away, but Dee Dee Hernandez came in for SDSU and got Emma Bramson to line out to left to end the frame. Angie Yellen singled in the bottom of the frame and Uribe walked before Ignacio came through again with an RBI single to bring Yellen home and tie the game at two.
Hernandez limited the Lobos to a two-out double in the fourth while the Aztecs went back on top with small ball. Julie Holcomb led off with an infield single and stole second, advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Quinn Waiki. Kate Farren bunted to third and the ball came home but Holcomb was safe.
In the fifth, New Mexico went down in order. In the bottom half, Uribe walked with one out and pinch runner Jazmin Williams stole second ahead of Jade Ignacio’s infield single to put two runners on for Shannon Cunningham. She hit a high fly ball to left field that deflected off the SDSU championships banner beyond the wall for a three-run home run to extend the lead to 6-2. Waiki walked later in the frame.
The Lobos singled twice in the sixth inning before Luderer stepped to the plate with runners on first and second and one out. She hit a line drive back up the middle, but Hernandez grabbed it and threw to first for an inning-ending double play. Bella Espinoza singled in the latter half of the frame but was caught stealing.
Archuleta led off the seventh inning for New Mexico and reached on an error. A fielder’s choice left a runner on first and one out for McKenzie. She hit a ground ball back up the middle but, once again, Hernandez fielded her position and fired to Waiki at second, who threw to Cunningham at first base for a game-ending double play.
THE NOTE
San Diego State did not allow a run on Wednesday and Friday and kept the Lobos off the board for the first two and final four innings, meaning that the Aztecs have shut out their opponent in 18 of their last 19 innings pitched.
THE NOTE II
Shannon Cunningham’s home run in the fifth inning was her fourth as an Aztec. It ties her career-high for a season. All four came with runners on base and this was Cunningham’s third home run this season with multiple runners on.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs and Lobos finish up the weekend series at noon on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
San Diego State 6, New Mexico 2
New Mexico (16-15-1, 2-3) 002 000 0 – 2 7 0
San Diego State (20-10, 4-1) 011 130 X – 6 8 1
W – Hernandez, 6-4; L – Barela, 0-1
HR: Cunningham, SDSU (4)