Courtesy of San Diego State Athletics 

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State softball team (4-1) was back at SDSU Softball Stadium on Saturday to open up the Campbell/Cartier Classic against Baylor (5-2). The game went to extra innings before Tylie Kitchen hit a liner to the gap in left center field for a walk-off single to win 4-3, the fourth walk-off of the season for the Aztecs.

Key-annah Pu’a started in the circle and worked around a one-out double to keep the Bears off the board. She would retire the next seven hitters following the double. Julie Holcomb led off with a single in the bottom of the inning, but SDSU was unable to score.

Lala Macario doubled in the second inning but was thrown out trying to advance to third base one batter later.

Baylor scored first in the third inning. Amber Toven reached on a two-out infield single to shortstop and scored on Faith Piper’s RBI double to center field.

The Aztecs battled back in the fourth inning. Jade Ignacio led off with an infield single and was bunted into scoring position by Olivia Gigante. Macario walked with two outs before Quinn Waiki laced a single through the left side to score Ignacio. Macario ended up on third base with Waiki on second. Mia Rodriguez ran at second base and Emma French pinch hit for Ally Dueker. The freshman came through with a single up the middle to score both Macario and Rodriguez and give San Diego State a 3-1 lead.

Pu’a allowed just three Bears to reach base in five innings, limiting the scoring to one run. Baylor rallied to tie the score in the sixth. Karynton Dawson singled and scored on a Leah Cran double. Jayden King ran for Cran and scored the tying run on an error. Faith Jordan struck out Kaygen Marshall looking to end the frame before Baylor could take the lead.

Matti Kwarta came in to pitch with a runner on second and two outs in the seventh and induced a groundout to end the inning. Holcomb walked with two outs in the bottom of the inning but was stranded.

Kwarta worked around a pair of walks for a scoreless eighth inning. The frame ended when Marshall was caught stealing on a 2-4-6 play at second base.

Ignacio worked a walk to begin the bottom of the eighth inning. Once again, Gigante moved to bunt her over but a throwing error by pitcher Peyton Tanner allowed Ignacio’s pinch runner Andrea Tall to get to third base while Gigante reached. Kiara Cisneros ran at first base and stole second. Kitchen drove the ball into the gap in left center field, scoring Tall from third to win the game.

THE NOTE
Emma French and Tylie Kitchen both logged their first collegiate hits and RBIs.

UP NEXT
SDSU continues play in the Campbell/Cartier Classic on Friday. The Aztecs will play Baylor again at 4:30 before facing North Dakota at 7 p.m.

San Diego State 4, Baylor 3
Baylor (5-2)                                       001 002 00 – 3 6 1
San Diego State (4-1)                         000 300 01 – 4 6 1
W – Kwarta, 3-0; L – Tanner, 2-1
HR: None