BATON ROUGE, La. -- Freshman Cece Cellura and junior Dee Dee Hernandez combined for a four-hit shutout to lead the San Diego State softball team to a 3-0 victory over Illinois on the final day of the Purple & Gold Challenge Sunday at Tiger Park.
Cellura (2-1) picked up the win after allowing four hits - all singles - and no walks over five scoreless innings, striking out three. Hernandez pitched the final two innings, giving up just one baserunner - a hit batter - while striking out two to pick up her first save of the season.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Aztecs (9-10), who have played one of the toughest schedules in the country this season with 14 of their 19 games against teams who made last year's NCAA tournament.
SDSU scored its first two runs of the game in bottom of the third inning. Macey Keester and Lala Macario each had one-out singles to get things started. After a pop out, Mac Barbara reached on a throwing error, which allowed Keester to score from second. Cali Decker followed with a single to plate Macario for the second run of the game.
San Diego State added to its lead in the fifth when it loaded the bases on a Keester single, Macario single and, after a wild pitch, a Bella Espinoza walk. Barbara's sacrifice fly scored Keester, but Illini (5-9) relief pitcher Lauren Wiles struck out Decker swinging and got Angie Yellen to ground out to second base to keep the damage to a minimum.
Keester was 2-for-2 with two runs for the Aztecs, who outhit UI, 8-4, in the game. Macario had two hits and a run, while Garcia added two hits, including a double.
Illinois only got one baserunner into scoring position in the game, which came in the fifth inning after consecutive two-out singles. Cellura, however, got Megan Ward to fly out to center field to keep the shutout intact.
THE NOTE
Mac Barbara recorded her 126th RBI while at SDSU, tying Molly Sturdivant (2016-19) for fifth on the school's all-time list.
THE NOTE II
This was San Diego State's second shutout of the season.
STAT OF THE DAY
Dee Dee Hernandez notched her 10th careers save, tying Maggie Balint (2020-22) for fourth on the school's all-time list.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs play host to Utah at 5 p.m. PT Wednesday at SDSU Softball Stadium in a rematch of last year's NCAA Super Regional in Salt Lake City.
San Diego State 3, Illinois 0
Illinois (5-9) 000 000 0 -- 0 4 1
San Diego State (9-10) 002 010 x -- 3 8 0
McQueen, Wiles (5) and Berkmeyer; Cellura, Hernandez (6) and Decker
W - Cellura, 2-1; L - McQueen, 3-3; SV: Hernandez, 1
SDSU Softball Shuts Out Illinois, 3-0
