CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The (rv/rv) San Diego State softball team (10-5) finished its time at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday with games against Seattle U (8-5) and No. 2/2 Texas Tech (15-1). The Aztecs hung on for a 7-6 win over the Redhawks but dropped their game against the Red Raiders by a 5-0 score.
Against Seattle U, Julie Holcomb and Jade Ignacio led off with singles in the bottom of the first inning. Both runners stole their way into scoring position. Holcomb scored on a sacrifice fly by Jazmin Williams, but Ignacio was stranded on base.
Karen Spadafora led off with a home run in the second inning for Seattle U to tie the game. The Aztecs rallied in the bottom of the frame to go back on top. Angie Yellen started things off with a double down the left field line. Gabriella Terrones was hit by a pitch for the fourth time in 24 hours. Lala Macario bunted for an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Everyone moved from station to station on a Kiara Cisneros single up the middle to score Yellen. Holcomb drove in Terrones with a single to left field, but Macario was thrown out at home plate trying to score on the play. Jade Ignacio knocked in Cisneros and Holcomb with a two-RBI double to right center field but was thrown out at third base trying to stretch it into a triple. Jazmin Williams contributed the sixth hit of the inning on a single through the right side but a foul out to right field ended the inning.
In the third inning, Faith Jordan faced the minimum. Quinn Waiki led off the bottom half with a solo home run to left field, her first of the season. Yellen singled in the inning and got as far as third base but could not score.
Seattle U trimmed the Aztecs’ lead to three runs in the fourth. Ava Sin reached on an error and Spadafora doubled. Both runners came home to score on Abbie Fales’ single down the left field line. In the bottom half, Jazmin Williams contributed her second homer of the season, out to center field.
Matti Kwarta entered the circle in the fifth inning and retired the side in order on a trio of groundouts. The Redhawks loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning, but Kwarta escaped by inducing a popup and a groundout. Kwarta hit Sophia Kissling to begin the seventh inning. Quinn Waiki made a leaping catch to spear a line drive for the first out. Jay Ross singled to center field before Taylor Fitch hit a three-run home run to left center field. All of a sudden, the tying run was at the plate. Stacey Nuveman Deniz turned to Key-annah Pu’a out of the bullpen to finish the game. The Fresno State transfer got Ava Sin to fly out to right field and Spadafora to line out to left field to finish off the Redhawks.
Faith Jordan started in the circle against Texas Tech and pitched a scoreless first inning, working around a leadoff single.
In the second inning, Texas Tech took the lead. Lagi Quiroga walked with one out and Red Raiders starter NiJaree Canady followed her with a single. The next hitter, Desirae Spearman, singled up the middle to drive in Quiroga. Timber Hensley, running for Canady, scored on a bunt single by Kaitlyn Terry. In the bottom of the inning, Olivia Gigante singled to left field off Canady but was unable to advance to scoring position.
Taylor Pannell led off for Texas Tech in the third and reached on an error and moved up on a wild pitch. She advanced to third base on a groundout. Jackie Lis walked and was run for by Hailey Toney, who stole her way into scoring position. Quiroga scored on a sacrifice fly before Toney crossed the plate on another wild pitch to make it 4-0 Red Raiders.
TTU finished the scoring in the top of the fourth. Spearman led off with a double and scored on a single by Mihyia Davis. Davis was able to get into scoring position, but Matti Kwarta stranded her there.
Candace Tarle came in and pitched the final three innings, preventing Texas Tech from adding any more runs and allowing just one baserunner in each inning on a single and two walks.
Gabriella Terrones walked in the fifth inning and Angie Yellen singled in the seventh inning but neither could move up to second base.
THE NOTE
San Diego State has beaten teams from seven different conferences (SouthEastern Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, West Coast Conference, Atlantic 10, Big West and Summit League) so far this season. The Aztecs have a .500 or better record against six of the seven (1-2 against the Big 12).
UP NEXT
SDSU is back in America’s Finest City next weekend for the Torero Classic on the campus of the University of San Diego. The Aztecs will face the host Toreros at 5 p.m. on Thursday night. San Diego State plays twice on Friday morning, batting CSUN at 9 a.m. and rv/No. 23 Washington at 11:30. SDSU will face the Huskies at the same time on Saturday ahead of a contest against Kansas City at 2 p.m. that afternoon.
San Diego State 7, Seattle U 6
Seattle U (8-5) 000 200 3 – 6 8 0
San Diego State (10-4) 141 100 X – 7 14 1
W – Jordan, 3-0; L – Galaviz, 1-1; S – Pu’a (1)
HR: Spadafora, Sea (2); Waiki, SDSU (1); Williams, SDSU (2); Fitch, Sea (8)
Texas Tech 5, San Diego State 0
Texas Tech (15-1) 022 100 0 – 5 7 0
San Diego State (10-5) 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
W – Canady, 6-1; L – Jordan, 3-1
HR: None