AZTEC SOFTBALL'S RALLY COMES UP SHORT IN 5-3 LOSS TO SAN JOSE STATE

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SDSU falls in series opener with SJSU

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo:  Jenavee Peres had two hits, including a solo homer.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

March 31, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego State scored three times in the bottom of the sixth inning but was unable to tie up the game in a 5-3 loss to San José State Friday night at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs dropped to 18-14 on the season and 2-5 in Mountain West play with their third consecutive loss, while the Spartans (23-10, 3-1 MW) won for the 13th time in 14 games.

SJSU jumped on SDSU starting pitcher Marissa Moreno (Torrance, Calif.) early with two runs in the top of the first inning and three more in the second, thanks to seven hits and two San Diego State errors. Aztec relievers Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) and Alex Formby (Orange, Calif.), however, shut down San José State the rest of the game.

On the other side, the SDSU offense, which came into the weekend with the fourth-best batting average (.351) in the country, struggled against Spartan pitcher Katelyn Linford. Linford, a two-time MW Pitcher-of-the-Week award winner this year, tied a career high with 12 strikeouts and gave up just six hits and no walks.

San Diego State finally got to Linford in the sixth. Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) got things going with a solo home run well over the left-field wall. It was her ninth homer of the season and 27th of her career (nine each in 2015, 2016 and 2017).

Two batters later Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) singled up the middle to keep the inning alive. Aris Metcalfe (Compton, Calif.) replaced Cable at first before Shelby Thompson (Benicia, Calif.) took the first pitch she saw over the left-field fence to bring the Aztecs within two runs at 5-3. It was Thompson’s second home run of the year.

Linford, however, retired the final four SDSU batters she faced to give SJSU the opening series win.

Peres led the San Diego State offense with two hits, while Cable, Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.), Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) and Thompson had the Aztecs’ other hits.

Moreno (7-5) took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings, while striking out one. Romero pitched a scoreless 4 2/3 innings of relief, yielding three hits with three strikeouts. Formby gave up two hits in the final 2/3 innings of relief.

Game two between SDSU and San José State is 6 p.m. PT Saturday.

San José State 5, San Diego State 3

San José State (23-10, 3-1 MW)               230 000 0 -- 5 12 2

San Diego State (18-14, 2-5 MW)             000 003 0 -- 3 6 2

Linford and Avila; Moreno, Romero (2), Formby (7) and Peres

W - Linford, 15-3; L - Moreno, 7-5

HR: San José State, Blair (5); San Diego State, Peres (9), Thompson (2)

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