It was evident from the start the San Diego State softball team came ready to play. Redshirt junior pitcher Rebecca Arbino led her team with a complete game shutout while her teammate, sophomore utility Lorena Klopp, was the Aztecs’ dominant offensive threat with three hits, two of which were home runs.
SDSU (25-19, 6-0 Mountain West) continued its quest for a Mountain West Conference title this weekend as it traveled to Albuquerque for a three-game series against New Mexico State (24-16, 0-3 MW).
In their seventh consecutive victory, the Aztecs maintained their winning streak as they successfully finished the series on Sunday with a 7-0 victory against the Lobos.
Arbino, who earned her fourth win in her last four appearances, allowed only six hits the entire game while striking out two.
“Rebecca did a very good job at holding them,” head coach Kathy Van Wyk said.
The SDSU offense clicked early in the top of the second inning when a sacrifice fly to center field by sophomore utility Katie Mathis scored redshirt junior outfielder Roshana Lavery. A few batters later, the Aztecs were able to add another run off of a fielding error by the Lobos’ third baseman.
The hitting parade continued in the third inning as senior first baseman Justeen Maeva led off with a hard-hit double down the right field line. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Patrice Jackson followed with a single up the middle to score Maeva.
SDSU’s bats remained active in the fifth inning with a leadoff homer by freshman outfielder Kayla Jordan — but the streak didn’t end there. Three batters later, Klopp pounded the ball the opposite way for another Aztec home run.
In the sixth inning, Maeva hit an RBI single to score sophomore shortstop Hayley Miles, who got on base after being walked.
With the game near an end, Klopp managed to hit another home run in the final inning to add to the day’s offensive stats. SDSU recorded one or more hits in six of the seven innings played.
“We hit the ball very well today,” Van Wyk said. “We need to keep doing what we’ve been doing because that’s been working.”
The Aztecs were also able to snag victories in both Friday and Saturday contests against New Mexico. Miles proved why she is one of the most dominant hitters in SDSU history after hitting two home runs in Friday’s game and then an additional two in the following game on Saturday.
“Hayley is so hot right now. She is seeing the ball really well at the plate,” Van Wyk said.
Despite such a standout weekend for the Aztec offense, Van Wyk is extremely proud of the recent progress her defense has made.
“Our offense has always stood out but we have been struggling a lot this year with our defense. This weekend, we did very well defensively and I think we are settling in well,” Van Wyk said.
The Aztecs’ next contest is set for 6 p.m. tomorrow when they will host Cal State Fullerton in a non-conference game.
