Seton Hall University
San Diego State
Softball Loses Pair of Close Games at San Diego State
2/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - The Seton Hall University softball team had its five-game winning streak to start the season snapped on the first day of the 25th Annual Campbell/Cartier Classic on Friday in San Diego. The Pirates lost to North Dakota State, 2-0, and host San Diego State, 4-3, to fall to 5-2 on the year.
North Dakota State broke open a scoreless game with two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning of game one. Seton Hall led San Diego State 3-0 through one, only to see the Aztecs steadily chip away at the lead before pulling in front in the top of the seventh.
North Dakota State 2, Seton Hall 0
The Pirates had trouble getting the offense going against North Dakota State and starter Krista Menke. Menke, who improved to 5-0 on the young season, entered the weekend tournament with a 0.97 earned run average.
Seton Hall pitcher Lauren Fischer (Robbinsville, N.J.) recorded her third strong outing of the year, yielding just three hits, but in the bottom of the sixth inning the Bison broke open a scoreless tie. The runs were unearned, as Logan Moreland reached on bunt aided by a Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) fielding error at first to lead off the frame.
Fischer recorded the next two outs and was on the verge of escaping the jam only to see Alyssa Reina send a two-run homer over the wall in centerfield.
Menke held the Pirates to just two base hits, and The Hall failed to see a runner advance past second base.
In the top of the third, SHU put two on with two out when junior Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) singled to left, but Menke struck out Faith Laudano (Islip, N.Y.) to end the threat. Again in the fourth, Seton Hall had two on with two outs. Junior Jackie DiPietro (Horsham, Pa.) was hit by a pitch and Jones drew a walk to put runners at first and second. Menke got Alexis Walkden (Cibolo, Texas) to pop out, the first of 10-straight outs recorded by the North Dakota State ace to end the game.
Fischer struck out one, yielding just the two unearned runs while scattering three hits and issuing only two walks. Harrell and senior Sara Haefeli (Montclair, N.J.) registered base hits for SHU.
San Diego State 4, Seton Hall 3
Three runs came across in the bottom of the first inning for Seton Hall against San Diego State, but that was all the scoring the Pirates could generate in their second narrow loss of the day.
Harrell drew a walk to lead off the first and proceeded to cause problems for the Aztecs around the base paths, moving over to third on a pair of wild pitches. With a runner at third and nobody out, Jones laid down a bunt and San Diego State reliever Erica Romero tried, and failed, to get Harrell at home, and it was 1-0 Seton Hall.
Two batters later, senior slugger Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) stepped to the plate and hit her third home run of the season, a two-run shot to center field, making it 3-0. It was the 26th homer of DeStaso's impressive career, moving her into a tie for second place in program history with Vickie Lamb (1997-01).
DeStaso also started on the mound for SHU, throwing four innings while giving up a pair of runs, just one of them earned. She struck out three and gave up five hits over four innings.
San Diego State started its comeback in the top of the third, with Leia Ruiz driving in Hayley Miles with a two-out double down the left field line. DeStaso found more trouble in the fourth, surrendering a leadoff double to Lorena Bauer. Then, with two outs and the bases juiced, Samantha Camello singled to left, pulling the Aztecs within one.
Senior Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) relieved DeStaso to start the fifth, but she gave up the tying run on a Kayla Bufadeci RBI double to right.
The game came down to the seventh inning and San Diego State took its first lead with two away. With runners at first and second, Jaylene Ignacio doubled to right, scoring Bauer from second, while Bufadeci was thrown out at home, ending the inning. SHU was retired in order in the last of the seventh as the Aztecs held on for the win.
Moses fell to 2-2 with the loss, giving up two runs over three innings with a pair of strikeouts. DiPietro went 2-for-3 to record a multi-hit game for The Hall.
Seton Hall returns to action for two more games on Sunday in San Diego. The Pirates face Central Michigan at 2:30 p.m. (ET) and Oregon State at 5 p.m. (ET).
