CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- Alyssa Garcia singled in Elianna Reyes in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the San Diego State softball team a 3-2 victory over Nebraska on the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California. It was the second straight 3-2 win for the Aztecs (7-5), who play Bethune-Cookman later today (tentatively a 3 p.m. PT start).
Tied up at 2-2 through seven innings, the Huskers (6-4) had the first crack in extra innings when Billie Andrews was placed on second base with the international tiebreaker rule in effect. SDSU pitcher Allie Light, however, struck out Sydney Gray looking, and got Ava Bredwell to ground out to third and Katelyn Caneda to pop to shortstop.
In the bottom of the eighth, Reyes was placed at second base. One batter later, Garcia ripped a single down the left-field line to score Reyes with the walk-off run.
Nebraska twice led by a run but San Diego State tied it each time.
In the second, the Huskers got on the scoreboard when Peyton Cope's groundout scored Bella Bacon.
The Aztecs tied it in the third as Micaela Macario reached on a leadoff single stole second, got to third on a Bella Espinoza groundout and, after a five-pitch walk to Mac Barbara, scored on a single by Makena Brocki.
Cody quickly gave Nebraska the lead again with a leadoff homer in the fourth.
After stranding a pair of runners in the fourth, SDSU tied it up again in the fifth. AJ Murphy reached on a one-out single and moved to second on a walk to Brocki. Murphy tried to score on a single by Katie Goldberg but was thrown out at the plate, the second San Diego State player to get thrown out at the plate in the game. Brocki, however, later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2.
The Huskers threatened again in the sixth with consecutive one-out singles by Bredwell and Cody, but Light (4-1) got Bacon to line into a double play, the third of the game recorded by the Aztecs.
Both SDSU (bottom of sixth) and Nebraska (top of seventh) left two runners on base before San Diego State walked it off in the eighth.
Macario (2-for-3, R, BB, SB), Garcia (2-for-3, RBI, BB) and Angie Yellen (2-for-2 BB) each had two hits and a walk for the Aztecs, who had the slight 9-8 advantage in hits against Nebraska. Brocki also reached base safely twice with the RBI single and a walk, while adding a run.
Light picked up the win after tossing four scoreless innings of relief, allowing four hits and no walks, while striking out five. Cece Cellura started and yielded two runs on four hits and a walk over four innings, striking out one.
SDSU left 10 runners on the base in the game, while the Huskers stranded six. The difference was San Diego State went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position, while Nebraska was 0-for-10.
THE NOTE
The Aztecs won their seventh straight extra-inning game.
THE NOTE II
SDSU allowed its opponent to score first for the 10th time in 12 games this season. San Diego State is 5-5 in those games.
STAT OF THE DAY
The Aztecs won their 16th consecutive game when outhitting their opponent.
UP NEXT
SDSU meets Bethune-Cookman at approximately 3 p.m. PT today.
San Diego State 3, Nebraska 2 (8 innings)
Nebraska (6-4) 010 100 00 -- 2 8 0
San Diego State (7-5) 001 010 01 -- 3 9 1
Cope, Harness (4), Kinney (5) and Bredwell; Cellura, Light (5) and Garcia
W - Light, 4-1; L - Kinney, 3-3
HR: Nebraska, Cody (2)
3 p.m.: San Diego State vs. Bethune-Cookman
Softball Downs Nebraska, 3-2, in Eight Innings
