San Diego State softball (4-1) continued its winning streak in the opening game of the Campbell/Cartier Classic with a 4-3 victory against the Baylor Bears (4-2) at the SDSU Softball Stadium on Thursday night.
The starting pitcher for the Aztecs was Key-annah Pu’a, a senior transfer from Fresno State. Pu’a was the key to the Aztecs’ defense, pitching five innings, allowing three hits, striking out two and only allowing one earned run.
“When our pitchers come out, and they’re sharp, throwing strikes, attacking hitters and getting ahead, it sets a tone,” head coach Stacey Nuveman-Deniz said.
It was a battle for the first couple of innings, but the Bears struck first in the top of the third. Back-to-back hits from senior infielder Amber Toven and sophomore infielder Faith Piper put the first run on the board for the Bears.
But that didn’t slow down Pu’a’s momentum. She remained calm and struck the next batter out.
“I was just trying to stay within myself, stay in control and just play the game that I play and not let the game dictate me,” Pu’a said.
Things heated up for the Aztecs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mountain West Player of the Week and senior catcher Jade Ignacio started the momentum with a single up the middle. Junior utility player Olivia Gigante followed with a perfect bunt to move Ignacio into scoring position at second base. Senior infielder Lala Macario then drew a walk, leaving two runners on base for the Aztecs.
Coming out swinging, sophomore infielder Quinn Waiki got a double and sent Ignacio home, scoring the Aztecs’ first run of the game. Freshman infielder Emma French hit a line drive up the middle, sending two more runners home to give SDSU a 3-1 lead.
Faith Jordan, the other half of the Fresno State transfer pitcher duo, came into the game in the fifth inning to close out the last stretch. It moved quickly, as none of the teams were able to generate any momentum on either side of the ball.
Back in the circle for the sixth inning, Jordan got the first two batters out on pop-fly balls. A string of hits scored one run for the Bears, cutting the lead to 3-2. A defensive error by French allowed one more Bear run, tying the game 3-3. Jordan then closed the inning with a strikeout. In the bottom half of the sixth, the Bears’ defense stopped the Aztecs, recording two pop-up balls and a strikeout.
Jordan returned to the circle at the beginning of the seventh inning. With two runners on base, Jordan was relieved by freshman Matti Kwarta, who entered in a high-pressure situation.
“At first, I was like, ‘Okay, let’s do my job,’” Kwarta said. “I have been in so many situations like this before and no moment is too big.”
A clutch double play by Waiki held the Bears on base, allowing Kwarta and the Aztecs to end the inning with no damage. The Aztecs got three quick outs in the bottom half to force extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Kwarta walked two runners, but got out of it with a pair of groundball outs. A runner was later caught in a pickle and tagged out at second base, ending the inning.
“I honestly love the pressure,” Kwarta said. “I feed off of it.”
Hungry for a win, the Aztecs came out swinging in the bottom of the eighth. Ignacio drew a walk and Gigante bunted, but a defensive error by the Bears put the Aztecs in scoring position at second and third base. Freshman utility player Tylie Kitchen knocked a ball into the gap in left field, bringing in the winning run in walk-off fashion.
“Tonight was a really good example of a team win in the sense that there wasn’t just a big hit or homerun,” Nuveman-Deniz said. “Sometimes that’s all it takes – just pass the bat and keep being alive and I thought we did a nice job with that.”
The Aztecs will revisit the Bears tonight at 4:30 p.m., then face the North Dakota Fighting Hawks right after at 7 p.m. at the SDSU Softball Stadium in hopes of extending their winning streak.
