SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State softball team (14-10) surged past Princeton (7-6) by a 14-6 score in six innings on Sunday at SDSU Softball Stadium.
Princeton struck first. Julia Dumais led off the game with a walk. Graciela Dominguez also walked before Ava Schaffel got the first two outs on a strikeout and a fly ball. A passed ball allowed Dumais to get to third base. When Dominguez stole second, the throw rolled into center field and Dumais scored the opening run. Schaffel ended the inning on a foul popup. The Aztecs jumped on top quickly as Lala Macario walked to lead off the bottom of the inning and Jazmin Williams launched a homer deep to left field, her sixth of the season, to put the Aztecs in front.
Schaffel retired the side in order in the second, including two strikeouts. Kaila Pollard walked to begin the bottom of the frame and Kiara Cisneros followed her with an infield single. A fielder’s choice allowed Macario to reach while Cisneros was out at second base. Williams reached on an error that allowed Pollard to score. The next hitter, Ignacio, singled to center and an error on the play allowed Macario and Williams to both score and make it 5-1.
The Tigers got two runs back an inning later when Dominguez singled and Maddie Ratcheson followed her with a two-run homer to center field off the glove of Julie Holcomb, who was replaced in center field by Jayleen Hernandez following the play. Yellen led off with a home run in the bottom of the inning and Quinn Waiki followed her with a double. In her first plate appearance of the game, Hernandez hit a two-run home run to left center field, the first of her career.
Princeton opened the fourth inning with a walk, an infield single and a three-run home run off the bat of Mia Valenzuela to cut the Aztec lead to 8-6. Faith Jordan entered the game and pitched the final three innings, allowing just two baserunners on a pair of singles over three scoreless innings. Williams walked to begin the bottom of the inning and stole second base. She crossed the plate on an Ignacio single. Yellen also singled before Waiki drove in Ignacio with a single up the middle. Yellen made it 11-6 Aztecs by scoring on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Pollard.
Hernandez led off with a single on a sharp grounder to third base in the fifth. She scored on a Williams double. Gigante reached on an error, which allowed Williams to score. Andrea Tall ran for Gigante and represented the winning run at first base. Yellen, a triple shy of the cycle, lined the ball deep into the gap in left center field. As Tall rounded third, the ball hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double. Tall was stranded at third base and Yellen was stuck at second base, sending the game to a sixth inning.
With two outs in the sixth inning, Hernandez singled through the right side. Macario followed her with a double into the gap in left center and Hernandez came all the way around to score the winning run for a walk-off run-rule win.
STAT OF THE DAY
San Diego State had its highest scoring game since a 14-1 win at San Jose State on April 12, 2024. The last time it scored more was a 15-5 victory at Colorado State on March 18, 2023.
THE NOTE I
Jazmin Williams and Olivia Gigante became the first pair of Aztec teammates since Lorena Bauer and Patrice Jackson in 2013 to each hit at least six home runs prior to the start of conference play. Bauer and Jackson wound up combining for 31 home runs that season.
THE NOTE II
The Aztecs hit three home runs, their most in a game at SDSU Softball Stadium since also hitting three against Northern Illinois on February 12, 2023. The last time SDSU had more at home was a five-homer game against Miami (Ohio) on March 4, 2017.
UP NEXT
San Diego State wraps up its non-conference slate at home against California Baptist on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. PT.
San Diego State 14, Princeton 6
Princeton (7-6) 102 300 – 6 6 3
San Diego State (14-10) 233 321 – 14 15 1
W – Jordan, 6-2; L – Wright, 0-4
HR: Williams, SDSU (6); Ratcheson, PU (1); Yellen, SDSU (2); Hernandez, SDSU (1); Valenzuela, PU (3)