JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The San Diego State softball team picked up two wins Saturday afternoon at the River City Leadoff Tournament at Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex. The Aztecs (4-1) avenged a Friday defeat to Villanova by beating the Wildcats, 8-4, before dispatching Nicholls for the second straight day by a 7-3 score.
In the opener, SDSU continued its early season offensive prowess with 13 hits in an 8-4 win against VU (1-1).
San Diego State, which scored the final four runs of the game, but lost to Villanova, 5-4, on Friday, was led by Kelsey Munoz, who had three hits, including a pair of doubles, two runs and an RBI. Alexa Schultz (2-for-3, RBI, R) and Kiera Wright (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 SB) chipped in with two hits apiece, while Shelby Thompson singled, walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
The Aztecs scored three runs in the top of the first inning as Thompson, Adams and Munoz each led off the game with singles and later scored. Thompson scored on Munoz' single up the middle, Adams on a Schultz groundout and Munoz on a fielder's choice by Summer Hargett.
The Wildcats got one back in the bottom of the first when Megan Kern's double scored Paige Rauch.
VU tied it in the third with an RBI groundout by Chloe Smith and an RBI single by Kern.
SDSU jumped back on top in the fourth with some small ball. Jillian Celis led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alizae Umi, to third on a Wright single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Thompson.
Clinging to a 4-3 lead, San Diego State put the game away with four runs on five hits and an error in the seventh. With the bases loaded and no outs, Kristen Parker singled through the right side to score Adams and Munoz. Hargett followed with a single to plate Schultz and Umi then scored Parker on a groundout.
Rauch homered to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but Hannah Johnson retired the next three in order to clinch the win.
Johnson (2-0) picked up the win for the Aztecs, allowing one run on two hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings, while striking out one. MJ James got the start and yielded three runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk over 2 2/3 innings, striking out one.
In the nightcap, SDSU downed the Colonels, 7-3, but stats were not available for the game.
THE NOTE
San Diego State's 4-1 start is its best since a 7-1 start in 2014. That 2014 team went onto win the Mountain West regular-season championship, won 40 games and advanced to the NCAA Tempe Regional.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs play at UC Riverside on Wednesday (2 p.m. PT), before playing host to the 30th annual Campbell/Cartier Classic over the weekend, beginning with Brigham Young at 6 p.m. PT Thursday.
Game 1: San Diego State 8, Villanova 4
San Diego State 300 100 4 -- 8 13 1
Villanova (1-1) 102 000 1 -- 4 7 2
James, Johnson (3) and Umi; Amarillas, Wenn (3), Kennedy (7) and Jones
W - Johnson, 2-0; L - Wenn, 0-1
HR: Villanova, Rauch (1)
Game 2: San Diego State 7, Nicholls 3
Stats unavailable
Softball Sweeps Villanova, Nicholls
