Normally the number 64 is associated with college basketball.
On Saturday afternoon, instead of brackets, it was the NCAA-record 64 straight wins by the San Diego State softball team’s opponent, the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners.
There was no March Madness upset, or February flip to be had in Cathedral City, California, as the Aztecs (8-6) fell to the three-time defending National Champions 7-0 in their final game at the Mary Nutter Classic.
SDSU put pressure on Sooners (12-0) starter Kierston Deal right out of the gate, with left fielder Bella Espinoza singling to third with one out. Then catcher Alyssa Garcia got hit by the pitch to move Espinoza into scoring position, but Deal got out of the jam with a flyout and a strikeout.
Espinoza had two of the three SDSU hits in the game. She led the Scarlet and Black with three runs scored while finishing even with second base Micaela Macario for a team-best five hits over the four game tournament.
The Aztecs wouldn’t get another runner in scoring position until the top of the seventh, when center fielder Makena Brocki reached on an error and designated player Jade Ignacio singled. Deal got the final two outs of the game on fly outs.
Mac Barbara did not play for the second consecutive game — she was replaced by AJ Murphy at first base in the top of the fourth inning of the game against Nebraska.
Allie Light made her second start of the weekend, pitching the first inning and a third before CeCe Cellura came on in relief. Dee Dee Hernandez also saw action in the circle for SDSU and Light re-entered to get the final two outs in the sixth.
Oklahoma scored their first runs in the bottom of the second inning against Cellura when third base Alyssa Britto hit a two-out, two-run single to score a pair of unearned runs after an error on a double steal.
The Sooners tacked on two more in the fifth when shortstop Tiare Jennings hit a two-run home run to center field off Hernandez. In the sixth, Jennings added a two-RBI double and designated player Ella Parker added an RBI single off of Light.
Deal pitched the full seven innings for the Sooners, allowing three hits with six strikeouts to improve to 2-0. Light’s record fell to 4-2 as she allowed six hits, five runs (three earned) and two walks in 1.2 innings of work.
SDSU will be on the road again next weekend as they travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to take part in the Purple and Gold Challenge hosted by No. 7 LSU.
On Friday the Scarlet and Black will play a twin-bill featuring McNeese and the host Tigers. Saturday they’ll face Louisiana Tech and LSU, before closing the tournament out on Sunday against Illinois.
