San Diego State kept the Rebels runnin’ in place on Saturday. SDSU(28-18-1) blanked its host, UNLV (21-27), in both games of adoubleheader.
Head coach Kathy Van Wyk was pleased with the team’s play againstthe Rebels.
“We played well enough to win,” Van Wyk said. “We had goodpitching and defense and the offense scored when we needed it.”
In the second game, the Aztecs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in thefirst inning. Janna Kovensky knocked a double with two outs andscored on a triple by Tiffany Goudy.
The score remained the same the rest of the way as both SDSU’s BreDeSanta and the Rebels’ Jackie Kerrigan dominated hitters.
DeSanta (10-8) gave up just two hits and two walks over the fullseven innings, hurling her third shutout of the year.
Kerrigan (8-12) gave up just two more hits after the first andallowed just one walk while fanning eight.
The win improved the Aztecs’ conference-leading record to 5-1.
Jeni Tornquist combined with DeSanta to secure a 3-0 victory inthe first game.
Goudy doubled and was plated by Kovensky in the fifth to score theAztecs’ first run. The Red and Black’s two other runs came in theseventh, on a pair of RBI doubles by Goudy and Sarah Hershman.
Tornquist (6-3) shut out the Rebels over the first four innings,surrendering five hits. She was relieved by DeSanta after giving up asingle to start the fifth.
DeSanta picked up her fifth save, giving up just two hits over theremaining three frames while striking out four.
The Rebels’ Geney Orris (5-6) took the loss after giving up tworuns and nine hits in six and a third innings.
Remember the Titans
The Aztecs traveled to Fullerton to square off against No. 7 CSUFullerton in a double header Friday. The Titans (37-9) swept SDSU inextending its winning streak to a nation-high 26.
Van Wyk said the team performed differently in the team’s twolosses.
“The first game we had breakdowns in our pitching and defense,”she said. “The second game was encouraging to come back strong. Weheld some of the best hitters in the country to just two runs.”
Fullerton won the nightcap 2-1 on a bases-loaded walk with twoouts in the seventh.
Jocelyn Evans stepped up with the bases juiced and jumped ahead ofDeSanta 3-0. DeSanta threw the next pitch for a strike, but the fifthbounced in the dirt for ball four and a game-ending forced run.
The Titans’ Christy Robitaille (8-3) held the Aztecs to just onerun and three hits while whiffing eight.
The Titans defeated SDSU by a titanic 9-0 score in the first game.
The Aztecs managed just one hit off Jodie Cox, a second inningsingle by Goudy. Cox (12-4) struck out six and walked just one inearning the win. Fullerton rallied for five runs in the first withtwo outs, including a three-run homer by Amanda Hockett.
Monica Lucatero nailed a grand slam with two outs in the fourth togive the Titans their nine-run total.
Jessi Green (8-5) started for the Red and Black. She lasted justtwo innings after giving up five runs and five hits. Tornquiststarted the third inning and surrendered the grand slam as well astwo other hits.
The game was called after the Aztec fifth due to the run mercyrule.
Starting off right
The Aztecs began conference play March 29 against Utah. SDSU splitthe twinbill, winning the first game 9-1 and dropping the second 4-2.
The Aztecs then traveled to BYU (24-16, 3-5) for a double headerMarch 30. SDSU swept the Cougars, 5-4 and 2-0.
King of the mountain
The Aztecs will defend their first place standing in the MountainWest this weekend when they travel for doubleheaders against NewMexico and Colorado State.
Said Van Wyk: “We’re starting to hit our peak. If anything gets inour way it will be hitting the road and being tired from that.Hopefully we can win three out of four.”
The Lobos (10-19-1, 2-2) are coming off a two-game split with BYU.Cassie Chavez has had a hot bat for UNM, as she hit three dingersover the weekend.
The Rams (16-9, 3-3) were swept by Utah over the weekend. CSU isled by Ricki Walker at the plate (3 HR, 17 RBI) and Melanie Mahoney(10-6) on the mound.
