LAS VEGAS -- The San Diego State softball team downed UNLV, 7-6, in 11 innings to capture the weekend series Sunday afternoon at Eller Media Stadium in Las Vegas. The Aztecs improved to 27-11 on the season and remain in first place in the Mountain West standings at 11-1, while the Rebels dropped to 28-9 and 6-3.
SDSU appeared to be heading for victory in regulation but the Rebels tied the game at 5-5 with a three-run home run by April Visser in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Neither team would threaten again until the 11th inning.
San Diego State loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by Macey Keester and Bella Espinoza, and, after a popout and passed ball, a five-pitch walk to Jillian Celis. UNLV ace Jenny Bressler struck out Danielle Romanello swinging, but Alexa Schultz took a 1-2 pitch through the left side to give the Aztecs a 7-5 lead.
The Rebels answered by loading the bases on a SDSU error, single and, after a fielder's choice, a hit batter. San Diego State reliever Dee Dee Hernandez struck out Visser on three pitchers for the second out. Maddie Schmidt next reached on an infield single that scored Sofia Morales to make it a 7-6 contest. Hernandez (7-3), however, got Mia Trejo to pop up weakly to shortstop AJ Murphy to end the game and clinch the series for the Aztecs.
SDSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single by Murphy, a double by Taylor Adams and a sacrifice fly by Bella Espinoza.
UNLV got on the scoreboard in the fifth on a two-run homer by Visser.
Murphy scored pinch runner Elianna Reyes in the sixth and Celis knocked in Nicole Siess in the seventh for San Diego State's other runs.
Celis had three hits, an RBI and a walk for the Aztecs, who outhit the Rebels, 16-10. Schultz added two hits, two RBIs and a walk, while Adams (RBI, R, 2B, SB), Mac Barbara (SB), Espinoza (R, RBI) and Murphy (2 RBI, R) added two hits apiece.
Hernandez picked up the win after allowing one unearned run over three innings of relief on two hits, a walk and a hit batter. The left-hander struck out one. Maggie Balint started the game and yielded five runs on eight hits and three walks over eight innings, striking out six.
THE NOTE
Five of the last 12 meetings (since 2018) between SDSU and UNLV have gone to extra innings (San Diego State is 3-2 in those games). Seven of the last 12 games, meanwhile, have been decided by one run.
THE NOTE II
The Aztecs improved to 3-4 on the season in extra-inning games and 5-7 in one-run contests.
STAT OF THE DAY
DP Mac Barbara extended her reached base streak to 32 consecutive games, which is the longest streak in the country (active streak and overall streak).
UP NEXT
SDSU plays host to Boise State this weekend with games set for 6 p.m. PT Thursday, 6 p.m. PT Friday and noon PT Saturday.
San Diego State 7, UNLV 6 (11 innings)
San Diego State (27-11, 11-1 MW) 030 001 100 02 -- 7 16 1
UNLV (28-9, 6-3 MW) 000 020 300 01 -- 6 10 0
Balint, Hernandez (9) and Romanello; Bressler, Thiede (6), Bressler (7) and Vollmer, A. Trejo (4), Vollmer (8)
W - Hernandez, 7-3; L - Bressler, 15-6
HR: UNLV, Visser 2.
Softball Downs UNLV, 7-6, in 11 Innings
