Two weeks ago, the San Diego State softball team was flirting with falling below .500. Since then, SDSU (15-8) has gone on a relentless and dominating seven-game winning streak.
The Aztecs have won five of those games at home, defeating No. 22 Fresno State, and two on the road in Columbia, Mo with a win against No. 21 Illinois.
Aztecs battle through wind and rain to grab two victories
Through wind, rain and four cancelled games, the San Diego State softball team traveled to Columbia, Mo. and extended its winning streak to seven games. SDSU (15-8) played two of its six scheduled games, beating Bradley University and No. 21 Illinois.
A pitcher-catcher combination is one of the most important relationships in softball. The two have to be comfortable and absolutely trusting: the pitcher trusts the catcher to block balls, the catcher knows how the pitches may move and what the pitcher likes to be successful. The San Diego State softball team has a new pairing that came with all of the above.
While rain and inclement weather may have canceled the final day of the San Diego Classic I, the cancellation of the tournament was overshadowed by the success of the San Diego State softball team on the games it did play. SDSU picked up three consecutive wins against teams that were nationally ranked or received votes in either the USA Today / NFCA or ESPN.com / USA Softball poll.
The San Diego State softball team has a statement game on its hands today. SDSU (8-8) is slated to take on UTEP at 7 p.m. at the SDSU Softball Stadium.
The game isn’t important because of the opponent, though. The game marks the first time since the first game this season when the Aztecs have the chance to drop below .500.
“We’ve been so close in our games,” head coach Kathy Van Wyk said. “We just haven’t had luck on our side and that has made a difference. We just need one thing to go our way and we’ll get off this slide.”
SDSU goes in 1-4 in weekend slate against tough opposition
One more hit, one more out or one more strike and the story of the Cathedral City Classic would have been very different for the San Diego State softball team. SDSU (8-8) battled a gauntlet of ranked opponents such as Oklahoma, Texas A&M and California, but couldn’t hold on long enough for a victory in any of those contests, going 1-4 in the tournament.
SDSU's ace strikes out 10 batters and allows zero earned runs
In the misty air last night, Samantha Beasley’s dominance continued, but it wasn’t enough to capture a San Diego State softball victory against Cal State Northridge at the SDSU Softball Stadium. The junior pitcher entered the game in the top of the fifth inning for starting sophomore pitcher Bailey Micetich.
Opening the season at home energizes players and seems to give them an extra step on their opponents. For the first two games of the Campbell / Cartier Classic, the San Diego State softball team was a prime example of that beneficial mind set. SDSU (7-3) dominated in victories against UC Santa Barbara and Western Kentucky. Yet when the Aztecs reached the weekend, the home-field magic was nowhere to be found.
For the past five years the San Diego State softball team has had one constant definition of leadership: Monica Alnes. The redshirt senior captain first baseman has been the leader for SDSU in some fashion for her entire collegiate career. She’s developed an example that every other player tries to emulate, on and off the field.
After two extra-inning games and one walk-off home run, the San Diego State softball team is 5-1 this season. SDSU kicked its season off at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. last weekend and outperformed five of the six teams to leave with the best overall record. “The weekend overall was a truly successful one,” head coach Kathy Van Wyk said. “We played five games with so much heart, so much energy and I was really proud of everyone. This was a really good start to the season.”
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