SAN DIEGO – The Fresno State softball team lost 7-4 to the San Diego State Aztecs in the series finale on Sunday at SDSU Softball Stadium.
The competitive weekend series between Fresno State (11-18, 1-2 Mountain West) and San Diego State (18-10, 3-3 MW), who had entered the series ranked No. 38 nationally in RPI, featured the last two MW champions on a sunny and breezy afternoon on the Montezuma Mesa.
SDSU will host the 2023 MW Softball Championships in May in a hybrid single and double elimination tournament, which will award the conference's automatic bid into the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the opening frame, Emma Martinez doubled on a high fly ball on the right side of the infield that was lost in the sun and Juliana Wilson hit her fourth home run in the last five games to give the Bulldogs an early 2-0 lead on the Aztecs.
SDSU settled in and steadily scored the next seven runs before Keahilele Mattson drove in a run with a single and Emma Martinez plated another on a sacrifice fly in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-4.
Mattson and Martinez later led off the seventh with back-to-back singles to centerfield, but the Aztecs held on for the win.
In the contest, Fresno State recorded 12 hits, but left eight runners on base, while SDSU scored its seven runs on six hits.
NOTES
In the series, Fresno State's Keahilele Mattson was 6-for-11 (.546) with 4 RBIs, a walk and a run scored.
In the series, Fresno State's Kennedy Bunker was 4-for-10 (.400) at the plate for the Bulldogs.
Shelbi Denman appeared in all three games at San Diego State and recorded a 1-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and allowed just two hits with no walks in 3.1 innings of work all in relief.
Serayah Neiss earned two starts and tossed 8.1 innings over the course of those two appearances with a 3.42 ERA and four strikeouts.
Juliana Wilson has now hit a home run in four of the Bulldogs' last five games.
Fresno State now leads its all-time series with San Diego State, 68-24.
NEXT UP
Fresno State is next scheduled to play Santa Clara in a doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 3:30 p.m. PT to start a five-game homestand at Margie Wright Diamond. The Bulldogs also host the New Mexico Lobos for a three-game series from Friday through Sunday.
SCHEDULE UPDATE
Fresno State has added a doubleheader with Saint Mary's College on Tuesday, May 2 starting at 3:30 p.m. PT at Margie Wright Diamond. These two games will serve as make-up games for those lost due to inclement weather earlier this season.