RENO, Nev. – After dropping the first two games at Nevada, the San Diego State softball team was trying to salvage the weekend with a win on Saturday. In the second pitcher’s duel of the series, the team’s combined for just one extra base hit, an Aaliyah Jenkins double in the sixth inning. Neither team was able to scratch across a run in the first seven innings, sending the game to extras. A trio of Aztecs singles off was capped off with Jade Ignacio driving in Bella Espinoza for the lone run of the game as Cellura kept the Wolf Pack off the board in the bottom half to preserve a 1-0 victory.
San Diego State (22-12, 6-3 Mountain West) starting pitcher Grace Uribe sat down the Wolf Pack (26-9, 4-2 MW) in order in the first inning.
Julie Holcomb singled up the middle in the top of the second for SDSU’s first hit of the day but was unable to move into scoring position. Uribe pitched another three up, three down frame in the bottom half.
Madison Clark led off with a single in the third for Nevada, but Cali Decker caught her stealing second. Uribe got the next two hitters to ground out to end the inning.
Uribe allowed a one-out single to Jenkins in the fourth, ending her day in the circle. She allowed just the two singles over 3.1 innings, striking out two hitters. Cellura took over and hit Haley Painter to put two runners on. On a ground ball, Quinn Waiki made an excellent diving stop and threw out Painter at second for the second out of the inning. Cellura got Tatum Maytorena to ground out to end the inning without a run crossing the plate.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Cellura struck out Hannah Di Genova for the first out. Following a Madison Clark single, Cellura responded with strikeouts of Bailie Clark and Lexi O’Gorman to end the inning.
With one away in the sixth, Bella Espinoza reached on an infield single, and Cali Decker walked to get the Aztecs a runner in scoring position for the first time of the day. However, a strikeout and a popup ended the inning without a run scoring. Cellura opened the bottom of the inning with a strikeout of Saige Alfaro. Jenkins doubled and Painter walked to get two on, but Decker caught Jenkins stealing third for the second out and a flyout ended the inning.
Shannon Cunningham began the top of the seventh with a single back up the middle for SDSU and advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch, but her teammates were unable to drive her in. Cellura retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame, including a strikeout of Di Genova, to send the game to extra innings.
Nevada’s Hailey McLean, who earned the win on Thursday with a complete game shutout, got Kate Farren to pop out to begin the eighth. Espinoza bunted for a single before Decker moved her into scoring position with a single of her own through the left side. McLean battled back with a strikeout before Ignacio punched a base hit through the right side, scoring Ignacio to give the Aztecs a 1-0 lead. Some atypical defensive miscues in the bottom of the frame put the Wolf Pack in good position. Bailie Clark led off and reached on an error. Haylee Engelbrecht tried to bunt her over but ended up reaching on an error as well. Alfaro moved the runners to second and third base with a sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning. SDSU intentionally walked Jenkins to load the bases with one away before Cellura froze Painter for the second out and Maya Larsen grounded out to shortstop to end the game.
THE NOTE
After both times she caught a runner stealing today, Cali Decker has now thrown out nine of the 17 runners to try and steal against her this season, which is tied for 20th in the nation.
THE NOTE II
San Diego State earned its first extra innings win of the season. The Aztecs fell in nine innings to No. 2/3 Oklahoma on February 6 and Weber State on February 28.
UP NEXT
SDSU will return to America’s Finest City for a doubleheader on Wednesday against Fresno State with games scheduled for 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Both will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
San Diego State 1, Nevada 0
San Diego State (22-12, 6-3) 000 000 01 – 1 6 2
Nevada (26-9, 4-2) 000 000 00 – 0 4 0
W – Cellura, 8-6; L – McLean, 11-4
HR: None