On Saturday, the San Diego State softball team fell to 8-8 as they lost their first two games in the 16th annual Purple & Gold Challenge Tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
SDSU opened up Saturday morning against the McNeese Cowgirls, who entered on a six-game winning streak and later faced No. 4 LSU.
The Aztecs lost a back-and-forth battle in the final inning against McNeese
SDSU was the first on the board against a 12-4 McNeese squad with a two-run home run by infielder Katie Goldberg in the top of the second. McNeese instantly responded with a two-run home run of their own to tie it 2-2 in the same inning.
The Aztecs took the lead back in the top of the third with an RBI double by outfielder Angie Yellen to make the score 3-2.
Pitcher Cece Cellura settled in after a rocky second inning and did not allow another run before she was pulled in the fifth inning. She finished her day allowing two earned runs on four hits. The freshman has improved almost every outing and is becoming one of the more reliable arms for the Scarlet and Black.
Infielder Mac Barbara added on another run late in the top of the fifth inning for SDSU, driving in infielder Lala Macario to take a comfortable 4-2 lead heading into the last two innings.
The Aztecs, however, couldn’t maintain their lead as the game went down to the final out. McNeese rallied in the bottom of the seventh, putting together a string of hits to win them the game with a final score of 5-4.
SDSU struggles at No. 4 LSU 9-1
The Aztecs once again struck first against the undefeated Tigers. Barbara gave the Aztecs a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the top of the first inning.
SDSU Pitcher Allie Light cruised through the first two innings, retiring six straight batters. LSU caught fire in the bottom of the third, hitting two home runs to give the Tigers a 4-1 lead.
The Aztecs couldn’t recover from the big inning and only had one more hit on the day. SDSU fell to the Tigers with a final score of 9-1.
The Scarlet and Black look to bounce back with a doubleheader Saturday against Louisiana Tech and a rematch with No. 4 LSU.
SDSU also plays Sunday to finish the Purple & Gold Challenge against Illinois.