SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State softball team welcomed Fresno State to town on Wednesday for a doubleheader. Entering the day, the Bulldogs were in first place in the Mountain West with a 7-2 record while the Aztecs were a game back at 6-3. A two-run home run by Grace Uribe was enough offense for Cece Cellura and Dee Dee Hernandez in the first game as the Aztecs earned a 2-1 victory to tie Fresno State for first place. The second game was scoreless after four innings, but the offenses woke up and combined for ten runs over the final three innings as Fresno State emerged victorious 7-3.
San Diego State (23-13, 7-4 Mountain West) starting pitcher Cece Cellura sat down the Bulldogs (24-12, 8-3 MW) in order in the first inning, striking out Natalie Elias and Kennedy Bunker for the first and final outs. Cellura did the same in the second, picking up her third strikeout, this time getting Taryn Irigoyen to chase. She put up a repeat performance with another 1-2-3 inning in the third. In the bottom of the frame, the Aztecs rallied with two outs to load the bases as Kate Farren and Bella Espinoza singled and Cali Decker walked but SDSU was unable to push across a run.
In the fourth inning, Jade Ignacio led off with a single down the left field line for the Aztecs and advanced on a wild pitch. With two away, Grace Uribe launched a two-run homer to the bleachers in right field to put the Aztecs up 2-0.
The next inning, Lauren Almeida hit a leadoff single through the right side for the Bulldogs. A pair of fielder’s choices left Madison Rey on first with two outs when Emma Martinez doubled to left center field, driving in Rey to cut the Aztecs’ lead in half.
Following a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt in the sixth, Dee Dee Hernandez entered the circle for SDSU to try and get the save. A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases with just one out, but Hernandez induced a pop up and a ground ball back to the circle to end the inning with the lead intact.
Hernandez stayed on for the seventh and struck Olivia Hill out to begin the inning before getting a lineout for the second out. She struck out pinch hitter Rylee Bocchini swinging to end the game with a 2-1 Aztec win.
Elias led off the second game with a walk, but Cali Decker caught her stealing second to erase the baserunner. Uribe faced the minimum, capping off the inning with a strikeout of Kennedy Bunker. Espinoza singled in the bottom of the inning for the Aztecs.
Uribe retired the side in order in the second, third and fourth innings. She struck out Jamie Hicks and Marissa Montelongo in the third. All three outs in the fourth were hit to Quinn Waiki at shortstop including an incredible diving catch for the third out. Waiki also singled in the third inning.
Irigoyen opened the scoring with a solo homer to right field to begin the fifth inning. Uribe hit a batter but otherwise shut down Fresno State for the remainder of the inning. Julie Holcomb singled to lead off the bottom of the frame but left early when trying to steal second base for the first out. The next hitter, Jazmin Williams, doubled to center. Waiki was hit by a pitch before a popup accounted for the second out of the inning. Espinoza hit a grounder back to pitcher Hannah Duncan, who threw the ball away trying to get the final out of the inning at first base. Espinoza reached second and Waiki advanced to third while Williams came around to score. Decker was intentionally walked to load the bases for Jade Ignacio, who came through with runners in scoring position once again, as she singled back up the middle. Waiki and Espinoza scored to give the Aztecs their first lead of the game, 3-1.
Hernandez took over in the sixth but was unable to replicate her success from the first game. A walk and a bunt single put two runners on before a sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third base with one out. Bunker hit a ground ball to third and SDSU had both runners caught in a rundown and got the runner from second out but the lead runner was ruled safe at home due to obstruction after a replay review. Bunker advanced to second base. Irigoyen had another big hit, this time an RBI triple to right before trotting home on a Ramirez single to put the Bulldogs back up, 4-3. Cellura entered the circle and was able to end the inning without any more damage thanks to a groundout.
Fresno State added on in the seventh. Hicks led off with a single up the middle. Montelongo reached on an infield bunt single. Elias followed her with a grounder to third which led to yet another replay review. After the conclusion, Rebolledo was safe at home while Montelongo advanced to third base and Elias reached second. Cellura struck out Kealani Nitta for the first out. Bunker hit a ground ball to first and Shannon Cunningham threw home but Montelongo was safe after review as Elias moved up to third. Irigoyen did more damage with an RBI single to score Elias and extend Fresno State’s lead to 7-3. Cellura got Rey to ground into an inning-ending double play, but the damage was done. SDSU went down in order in the bottom of the frame to finish the game.
THE NOTE
In the first game, Grace Uribe launched her fourth home run of the season to tie Cali Decker and Shannon Cunningham for the team lead.
THE NOTE II
In the second game, Uribe carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning for the second time this season. She was two outs away from a no-hitter in a five-inning game when SDSU defeated Army 9-1 at California Baptist on February 9.
UP NEXT
SDSU heads to Fort Collins, Colorado, this weekend for a two-game set against the Colorado State Rams. The teams will play at 1 p.m. MT/12 p.m. PT on Saturday and 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT on Sunday. Both games will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
San Diego State 2, Fresno State 1
Fresno State (23-12, 7-3) 000 010 0 – 1 4 0
San Diego State (23-12, 7-3) 000 200 X – 2 4 0
W – Cellura, 9-6; L – Campbell-Pu’a, 5-6; S – Hernandez, 4
HR: Uribe, SDSU (4)
Fresno State 7, San Diego State 3
Fresno State (24-12, 8-3) 000 013 3 – 7 8 2
San Diego State (23-13, 7-4) 000 030 0 – 3 5 0
W – Campbell-Pu’a, 6-6; L – Hernandez, 6-5
HR: Irigoyen, FS (1)