Efficiently preventing baserunners has been one of San Diego State softball’s most impressive qualities over the course of their reign atop the Mountain West Conference. Despite stellar team earned run average (ERA) marks in recent years, 2026 has been a struggle.
The Aztecs sit at 20-19 overall with a brutal 5-9 conference record. Recent struggles have given way to an uncharacteristic eighth-place standing in the Mountain West. The team ERA currently sits at 4.37, significantly higher than 2025’s 2.91 mark.
Many of the struggles stem from inefficiency on the defensive end. SDSU’s 13-2 inner-conference loss against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Wednesday afternoon was a prime example.
In the second game of a doubleheader against Nevada (28-13, 10-4 MW), the Aztecs failed to make it all seven innings, being mercied in the fifth. Baserunners were easy to come by for Nevada, with the Wolf Pack racking up 12 hits against the Aztec pitchers.
The bleeding began in the top of the second inning, where Nevada scored five runs. Senior starter Key-Annah Pu’a only made it through the first inning, putting six runners on in the top of the second. Even with standout sophomore Ava Schaffel coming in, those runners would come home.
Schaffel struggled in her relief outing, but the sophomore took a positive approach when commenting on her struggles after the game.
“It definitely does get tough, but just knowing that I have my team behind me and really leaning into the heartbeat that we have gets me through it,” Schaffel said.
Despite the positive outlook, Schaffel touched upon the issues that rising pitch counts can present: “When you start throwing balls, it can really have a snowball effect.”
The added pitch count may harm pitchers, but hitters such as senior infielder Lala Macario insist that extended innings in the field do not impact their at-bats.
“Every time we switch or call something in between innings, every time we go from fielding to hitting, I consider that wiping the slate clean,” Macario said.
SDSU even struggled defensively in their 13-2 loss, an aspect of the game that Macario acknowledged.
“It was rough on defense a little bit, but once you start in the box, it’s a new side of the ball,” Macario said.
San Diego State must return to their efficient, low-ERA ways quickly if they want to have a chance at a playoff appearance. The team will look to salvage their season on the road against a reeling San Jose State (11-26, 3-11 MW) squad on April 11.
