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SDSU’s Shelby Thompson and Jenavee Peres each hit grand slams in series finale
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo: Jenavee Peres (left) hit a grand slam and had six RBIs in SDSU's 15-5 win over MW-leading Utah State. Courtesy goaztecs.com
April 30, 2017 (Logan, Utah) - Shelby Thompson (Benicia, Calif.) and Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) each hit grand slams to lead the San Diego State softball team to a 15-5, five-inning victory over Mountain West-leading Utah State in the series finale Sunday in Logan, Utah. The Aztecs improved to 26-17 overall and 10-8 in MW play, while the Aggies dropped to 32-12 and 14-6.
Thompson hit her first career grand slam to cap a five-run top of the first inning, while Peres’ grand slam in the fourth capped a six-run frame. SDSU also scored one run in the second and three in the third.
Peres finished three hits, two runs and tied a career high with six RBIs. Thompson had two hits, four RBIs, two runs and a walk.
San Diego State jumped out with five runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by Thompson’s grand slam. Peres and Katie Byrd (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS) had led off with singles and, following a strikeout, Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) was walked. Frankie Orlando (Roseville, Calif.) drove in Peres on a fielder’s choice grounder as the play at the plate was late. Thompson then cleared the bases for her fourth home run of the season to put the Aztecs up, 5-0. The five runs in the first inning were two more than SDSU had over the first two games in the series in pair of losses (4-2 and 4-1).
Victoria Saucedo answered for USU in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer.
In the second, San Diego State’s Megan Smith (Valencia, Calif.) led off with a four-pitch walk, moved to second a Peres groundout and then stole third. After Byrd drew a walk, Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.) laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Smith and move Byrd all the way to third base. Cable drew her second walk of the game, putting runners on the corners for Orlando. Utah State starter Kellie White, however, got Orlando to ground into another fielder’s choice, which got Cable at second to end the inning.
After a 1-2-3 inning pitched by Marissa Moreno (Torrance, Calif.), the Aztecs chased White from the game with back-to-back singles by Thompson and Jaylene Ignacio (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS). Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) followed with a single off brown to load the bases for Smith. Smith grounded into a fielder’s choice, which got Thompson at the plate. Peres, however, ripped a single up the middle to score Ignacio and Meshack. Smith then scored on wild pitch to put SDSU up, 9-2.
In the fourth, Cable led off with a single, advanced to second on a groundout by Orlando and took third on a wild pitch. After Thompson was walked on four pitches, Ignacio reached on a fielding error to load the bases for pinch-hitter Ashley Ercolano (Poway, Calif./Poway HS). Eight pitches later Ercolano drew a walk to plate Cable. Smith followed with a bloop single to left field to score Thompson and chase Brown from the game. With the bases still loaded, Peres blasted the second pitch she saw well over the center-field fence to make it 15-2 SDSU. It was the 14h home run of the season for Peres and 32nd over her career.
Sydney Hart brought the Aggies back to a 10-run deficit with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, but USU would score no more run.
Cable was 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs as San Diego State outhit Utah State, 11-6, for the game and was walked seven times. Smith scored three times with a hit, RBI, walk and stolen base, while Ignacio and Meshack each singled and scored twice.
Moreno (10-5) picked up the win after allowing five runs on four hits and a walk over four innings. Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) relieved Moreno in the fifth and gave up two hits.
The Aztecs return home for their final regular season home series against UNLV, beginning 6 p.m. PT Friday at SDSU Softball Stadium. ECM will have live coverage of this game, which you can see by following @ECMagSports on Twitter.
San Diego State 15, Utah State 5 (5 innings)
San Diego State (26-17, 10-8 MW) 513 60 -- 15 11 2
Utah State (32-12, 14-6 MW) 200 30 -- 5 6 1
Moreno, Romero (5) and Peres; White, Brown (3), McCracken (4) and Buttacavoli
W - Moreno, 10-5; L - White, 17-5
HR: San Diego State, Thompson (4), Peres (14); Utah State, Saucedo (10), Hart (7)
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