SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State softball team (11-7) continued play in the Torero Classic with two more games on Friday. The Aztecs came up short against CSUN (4-9) by a 3-1 score before being bested by --/No. 24 Washington (11-6) 16-2 in five innings.
In the first inning, Jade Ignacio and Angie Yellen walked. In her return to the lineup after being out since February 12 with an injury, Kaila Pollard hit a two-out single up the middle but Ignacio was thrown out trying to score from second base on the play. Key-annah Pu’a threw a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout in the bottom of the inning.
Quinn Waiki led off the second with a single and Lala Macario was hit by a pitch in the inning, but their teammates were unable to bring them home. The Matadors loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half, but Waiki made an excellent stop at shortstop and got the forceout at third base to end the inning.
Ignacio started the third inning with a double and advanced to third base on a one-out Yellen single. Yellen stole second but a popup and a flyout ended the inning without a run crossing the plate. Pu’a recorded another three up, three down inning in the bottom half.
Gabriella Terrones doubled in the fourth but could not move any further. The Matadors once again loaded the bases with two outs, and once again, Pu’a was able to escape, this time on a grounder to third. She finished her day with a strikeout across four scoreless innings while allowing four hits and no walks.
CSUN broke through in the fifth inning. The Aztecs erased a leadoff single with a double play. However, the Matadors rallied with two outs. A single and a walk set the table before two more singles brought home three runs. A groundout to second finally ended the inning but the damage was done.
Pollard led off with a single in the sixth. Waiki reached and pinch runners Andrea Tall and Mia Rodriguez moved up to second and third with just one out but were stranded there. Kwarta pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to keep the deficit at three.
Holcomb reached on an error to begin the seventh inning. With one out, Jazmin Williams tripled into the right field corner to score Holcomb and bring the tying run to the plate. Pollard walked to bring the go-ahead run up in the form of Waiki, but a sharp lineout to right field ended the game with a 3-1 score.
In the second game of the day, the Huskies came out swinging. Jadyn Glab homered on the second pitch of the ballgame. After Alexis DeBoer singled, Giselle Alvarez homered to right to make it 3-0. Candace Tarle struck out two of the next three hitters, but Ava Carroll reached on a walk and crossed the plate on Jade Bubke’s double. Tarle induced an inning-ending lineout to shortstop. In the bottom of the inning, Macario led off for the first time since Opening Day and walked. She was erased on a double play before Williams doubled. Williams was unable to move up during the inning.
Washington added on in the second. Kaycie Burdick doubled and Glab walked. Burdick scored on a passed ball and Glab crossed the plate on a groundout. The Aztecs were able to get out of the inning without any more damage. Olivia Gigante singled for the Aztecs in the bottom half.
Gabi Toney and Bubke walked to open the third inning. After a popup, Burdick bunted for a single to load the bases. Glab walked to score Toney before DeBoer hit a two-run single to make it 9-0. Ava Schaffel retired the next two hitters to end the inning. The Aztecs got on the board in the bottom of the inning. Macario walked and Williams launched a two-run home run that landed on top of the batting cages in left field.
Schaffel pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth to keep the Washington lead at nine. Waiki and Andrea Tall each singled in the bottom of the frame.
In the fifth, the Huskies exploded for a seven-run outburst. Melody Acevedo walked before Burdick bunted for a single. Glab followed with her second homer of the day to make it a ten-run game at 12-2. Following another walk, Montse Reyes-Cardenas entered the circle. She struck out Alvarez, the first batter she faced, but walked the next three, bringing in a run. Following another strikeout, a run scored on a wild pitch. Acevedo came back up and lined a two-run double to left to add two more runs. Reyes-Cardenas got Burdick to pop out to Yellen in foul territory to finally end the inning. Jayleen Hernandez pinch hit in the bottom of the inning and singled but the Aztec bats couldn’t do any more damage, finishing the contest with a 16-2 score.
THE NOTE
Jazmin Williams’ home run was her fourth of the season, taking sole possession of the team lead. Her next home run will match her total of five from last season, her career high.
UP NEXT
SDSU wraps up its time at the Reggie Smith Softball Complex with two more games on Saturday. The Aztecs will face --/No. 24 Washington at 11:30 a.m. once again before playing Kansas City at 2 p.m.
CSUN 3, San Diego State 1
San Diego State (11-6) 000 000 1 – 1 7 0
CSUN (4-9) 000 030 X – 3 8 2
W – Williams, 3-4; L – Kwarta, 5-2; S – Tso (3)
HR: None
Washington 16, San Diego State 2
Washington (11-6) 423 07 – 16 11 0
San Diego State (11-7) 002 00 – 2 6 0
W – Reimer, 5-1; L – Tarle, 0-2
HR: Glab, UW (2); Alvarez, UW (4); Williams, SDSU (4); Glab, UW (3)