LAS VEGAS – The San Diego State softball team (17-13, 2-3 Mountain West) dropped its game on Saturday against UNLV (16-15, 3-2 MW) by a 6-3 score.
For the Aztecs in the first inning, Lala Macario led off with a four-pitch walk but the team was unable to advance her. UNLV scored first in the bottom of the inning. Bri Williams led off with a single and pinch runner Gwyn Burnett was bunted into scoring position before advancing on a wild pitch and scoring on a sacrifice fly.
UNLV added three runs on a pair of homers in the second inning. Mantha Hatzenbeller hit a solo homer, and Williams hit a two-run home run. Ava Schaffel entered the game following Williams’ homer and escaped the inning without any more damage.
SDSU got on the board in the third inning. Emma French singled and pinch runner Mia Rodriguez moved up on a groundout before coming around to score on a hit back up the middle off the bat of Macario. Jade Ignacio also walked in the inning. Schaffel pitched a 1-2-3 inning, finishing it with a strikeout.
The Rebels added a run in the fourth. Williams hit a two-out double into the gap in right center field and Natalie Turner followed her with a single to left field, scoring Williams, but the Aztecs threw out Turner trying to stretch it into a double to end the inning.
In the fifth, the Aztecs loaded the bases with just one out when French and Kiara Cisneros each singled before another Macario walk. French crossed the plate on a sac fly by Jade Ignacio to cut the deficit to three runs. Matti Kwarta entered the circle for San Diego State in the bottom of the inning. Following a leadoff home run by UNLV’s Keyannah Chavez, Kwarta recovered by getting three quick outs.
San Diego State threatened again in the sixth inning. The Scarlet and Black loaded the bases on a Jazmin Williams double, an Olivia Gigante walk and a hit by pitch by Emma French but could not score any runs. Kwarta prevented the Rebels from reaching scoring position in the bottom of the frame.
In the seventh inning, UNLV got a pair of quick flyouts. Down to their final out, SDSU battled to keep the game going. Angie Yellen walked and Quinn Waiki followed her with an RBI double to right to make it 6-3. The next batter lined out to shortstop to end the game.
THE NOTE
Emma French has reached base in all four plate appearances this series after entering the weekend hitting .212. Following a hit in her lone at bat on Friday, the freshman reached in all three plate appearances on Saturday including two hits in two at bats.
UP NEXT
San Diego State and UNLV wrap up this series at noon on Sunday. The game will be streamed on Mountain West Network.
UNLV 6, San Diego State 3
San Diego State (17-13, 2-3) 001 010 1 – 3 6 0
UNLV (16-15, 3-2) 130 110 X – 6 7 0
W – Everett, 1-0; L – Pu’a, 4-5; S – Sherwood, 1
HR: Hatzenbeller, UNLV (4); Williams, UNLV (5); Chavez, UNLV (2)