SAN DIEGO – After coming up just short in a 1-0 defeat against the No. 12/13 Arizona Wildcats on Friday, the San Diego State softball team had a chance to take revenge in a rematch on Saturday. SDSU did just that as Grace Uribe and Cece Cellura combined for seven shutout innings, holding the Wildcats to just three hits and Mia Rodriguez raced home on an error in the fifth inning as the Aztecs emerged triumphant with a 1-0 win.
San Diego State (30-16) starting pitcher Uribe began the game with nine straight outs, keeping Arizona (40-10) off the basepaths until the fourth inning. Coming off a 2-3 game with a pair of infield singles on Friday, Julie Holcomb singled back to the pitcher in the bottom of the first inning but was caught stealing.
Cali Decker led off the second inning with a walk. Uribe also walked, putting two runners on, but they were unable to advance any further.
Holcomb singled again with two outs in the third but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double.
In the fourth inning, Dakota Kennedy singled for Arizona to begin the frame and moved up on. Jazmin Williams doubled down the left field line to open the bottom of the inning but was stranded at second base.
Uribe pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the top of fifth. In the latter half, pinch-hitter Gabriella Terrones led off with a walk, but Shannon Cunningham came back in to run. She moved up to third on a single to right of the bat of Angie Yellen when Kaiah Altmeyer had trouble fielding the hit, allowing Cunningham to take the extra base. Mia Rodriguez ran for Yellen at first base. Bella Espinoza hit a ground ball to first base and the Wildcats threw Cunningham out at home for the second out of the inning, leaving Rodriguez on second and Espinoza on first for Julie Holcomb. She came through with an infield single for her fifth hit of the weekend, which was misplayed by Arizona, allowing Rodriguez to run all the way around from second and beat the throw home to give the Aztecs a 1-0 lead.
In the sixth, Uribe worked around a two-out single by Kennedy to bring the Aztecs within three outs of a ranked win.
Friday’s pitcher, Cellura, entered the circle for the seventh inning to try and get the save. She got Altmeyer to ground out for the first out of the inning. Devyn Netz, who’s solo homer accounted for the lone run on Friday, came to the plate and reached on a single to shortstop, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of Sydney Stewart. After Stewart worked a 2-0 count, Cellura responded by getting her to hit a grounder to third base. Yellen fired to Jazmin Williams at second to retire Netz before the throw to first was caught by Cunningham before Stewart could get down the line to complete the double play and the win.
THE NOTE
San Diego State earned its highest ranked win since beating No. 11/13 Missouri on February 22, 2024, in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Aztecs shut out a ranked team for the first time since a 4-0 win over No. 5/6 Washington on February 26, 2021, at SDSU Softball Stadium.
THE NOTE II
In both games this weekend, the winning team had one run on five hits and the losing team had three hits but did not score.
UP NEXT
SDSU will wrap up its regular season with a three-game home series next weekend against San Jose State. The Aztecs and Spartans will play at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday before a noon start on Saturday for Senior Day. The games on Thursday and Saturday will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
San Diego State 1, No. 12/13 Arizona 0
Arizona (40-10) 000 000 0 – 0 3 2
San Diego State (30-16) 000 010 X – 1 5 0
W – Uribe, 9-1; L – Maddox, 3-1; S – Cellura, 3
HR: None