SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State softball team (21-22, 6-12 Mountain West) fell against No. 19/24 Grand Canyon (43-5, 16-2 MW) on Saturday afternoon by an 11-2 score in five innings.
SDSU starting pitcher Ava Schaffel faced the minimum in the first inning with a pair of foul outs.
In the second inning, Schaffel worked around a leadoff walk for another scoreless frame, finishing with a strikeout of Tinley Lucas. The Scarlet and Black loaded the bases with two outs when Lala Macario, Jazmin Williams and Gabriella Terrones combined for three straight walks, but nothing came of it.
Once again, Schaffel faced the minimum in the third with help from a 6-4-3 double play. In the bottom of the inning, Angie Yellen singled with one out for the first hit by either team. The next hitter was Kaila Pollard, who lined a two-run homer to the scoreboard in right field to give the Aztecs a 2-0 lead.
Grand Canyon pulled ahead in the fourth with a three-run home run after an RBI single. SDSU threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles by Williams and Terrones, but both were stranded.
GCU took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues by the Aztecs in the fifth inning to score seven unearned runs. San Diego State was unable to get anything going offensively in the bottom of the frame, ending the game with an 11-2 score.
THE NOTE
Kaila Pollard’s fourth home run of the season set a new career high. In the 2023 season at Florida, she went deep three times.
UP NEXT
San Diego State wraps up its series against No. 19/24 Grand Canyon at noon on Sunday. The team will sign autographs following the game.
Grand Canyon 11, San Diego State 2
Grand Canyon (43-5, 16-2) 000 47 – 11 7 0
San Diego State (21-22, 6-12) 002 00 – 2 4 2
W – Jones, 8-2; L – Schaffel, 3-1
HR: Pollard, SDSU (4); Lucas, GCU (7)