SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State softball team (8-2) wrapped up its season-opening homestand with a 10-5 win over Oregon State (4-6) on Sunday in the final game of the Campbell/Cartier Classic.
SDSU starting pitcher Ava Schaffel allowed just one baserunner in the first two innings, a leadoff single in the second. Quinn Waiki led off the bottom of the second inning with a double to right field. Gabriella Terrones walked with one out before Angie Yellen hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out. Lala Macario followed her with a single up the middle to score Waiki from second base and give the Aztecs a 1-0 lead. Julie Holcomb also singled in the inning.
Oregon State took the lead in the top of the third inning. Alliyah Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and scored on Jaeya Butler’s two-run home run to right field. In the bottom of the inning, the Aztecs tied the score. Olivia Gigante and Quinn Waiki each singled and Waiki came home to score on another single by Terrones.
In the top of the fourth inning, Oregon State pulled back ahead on a Morgan Howey leadoff homer. Macario led off the latter half with a walk and moved up on a wild pitch. Jade Ignacio singled back to the circle and Butler threw the ball away, allowing Macario to score and even things up at three.
Key-annah Pu’a worked around a single and a walk for a scoreless fifth inning. San Diego State rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the frame. Waiki got things started with a single down the left field line. Andrea Tall ran for her and moved into scoring position on an Emma French single. Terrones bunted for another single to load the bases. Tylie Kitchen hit a ground ball to shortstop, but Alliyah Rodriguez misplayed it, allowing Tall to score. Macario drove in French with a single up the middle. The Beavers took the out at home on a grounder to third base. Angie Yellen, running for Kitchen, scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-3 San Diego State. Then, Jade Ignacio doubled down the left field line, scoring Macario and Holcomb. Following a flyout, Gigante was hit by a pitch and was replaced at first base by Mia Rodriguez. Waiki’s spot in the order came back up and she singled up the middle to score Ignacio from second base. Rodriguez moved to third base and Waiki advanced to second on the throw. Another Alliyah Rodriguez error allowed Mia Rodriguez to score the seventh run of the inning and bring SDSU within a run of ending the game due to the run rule.
Pu’a allowed a walk and nothing more in the sixth inning and Kiara Cisneros had a pinch-hit double in the bottom of the inning.
In the seventh inning, freshman Montse Reyes-Cardenas entered the game. Butler and Tristian Thompson hit back-to-back home runs to open the inning before Reyes-Cardenas settled down. She got Howey to ground out before Madison Weir walked. Reyes-Cardenas coaxed Rylei Trujillo to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game with a 10-5 win for the Aztecs.
THE NOTE
San Diego State finished with the best record in the Campbell/Cartier Classic at 5-1. Baylor (4-1) placed second, Fordham came in third (2-3) and North Dakota and Oregon State tied for fourth at 1-4.
UP NEXT
SDSU heads to Cathedral City, California, next week for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Aztecs are scheduled to play five games, against No. 4/4 Oklahoma on Thursday, UC Riverside and Saint Mary’s on Friday, and Seattle U and No. 1/1 Texas Tech on Saturday. All five games are set to appear on FloSports.
San Diego State 10, Oregon State 5
Oregon State (4-6) 002 100 2 – 5 7 3
San Diego State (8-2) 011 170 X – 10 15 0
W – Pu’a, 1-0; L – Aleman, 1-2
HR: Butler, OSU (6); Howey, OSU (2); Butler, OSU (7); Thompson, OSU (3)