By Autumn Blue (@Autumnblue3) — Reporter
San Jose State women’s softball (10-6, 0-0 MW) traveled this weekend to Phoenix, Ariz. to play in the Grand Canyon University Invitational which started bright and early Friday morning.
Day 1
Junior first baseman Karizma Bergesen was the star player on the first day of the GCI as she had two home runs and a double with five RBIs.
The Spartans’ first game was against Binghamton University (6-5, 0-0 AE). During the fourth inning, the Spartans scored five runs making it 5-1. SJSU’s star third baseman Alyssa Graham scored two runs for the Spartans.
Junior shortstop Jocylyn Vidal, junior catcher Trenity Edwards, freshman center fielder Jules Ronquillo and junior outfielder Jackie Rookaird all scored as well.
By the sixth inning, SJSU gained two more runs and Binghamton had a final run during the seventh, ending the game 7-2.
Senior pitcher Jenessa Ullegue came in during the fourth inning and had seven strikeouts, no walks and three hits allowed.
SJSU’s second game against the University of Montana Grizzlies fell flat as the Spartans only had three runs on seven hits, 5-3.
The Grizzlies had two runs due to a home run at the top of the seventh, which brought them the lead and ultimately never looked back.
Day 2
SJSU started its second day by playing the Montana Grizzlies once again after their two-run loss Friday morning. The game went to eight innings but the Spartans still could not come out on top as the Grizzlies managed to score a run during the eighth 2-1.
Sophomore infielder Ashley Rico went 3-for-4 with a home run to score the Spartans’ one and only run of the game.
Senior pitcher Caroline Bowman threw seven complete innings and the bottom of the eighth and had seven strikeouts.
The odds were more in the Spartans’ favor as they played the Binghamton Bearcats during their final game of the day.
Center fielder Ullegue led SJSU in this game as she went 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs.
Ullegue’s hit to center field during the first inning gave her 2 RBI, scoring Graham to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
This was not a long celebration, as the Bearcats came back during the second with two runs themselves. By the fifth inning both teams were tied with three runs each, 3-3.
Ullegue made the same play that got SJSU in the lead during the first with a left field that brought Graham back to home and ended the game 5-3.
Day 3
SJSU played Grand Canyon University during the last game of the GCU Invitational on Sunday morning.
The game only went five innings, as the Spartans showed no mercy on GCU.
SJSU took the lead and ran so far the Lopes probably didn’t even have enough time to react, Just in the first inning the Spartans shot out the park with six runs, instantly taking the lead 6-0.
Catcher Edwards doubled to right center giving her a 2 RBI bringing Ullegue and Graham to home plate. Edwards would then score after Vidal reached an error on second base. Gourd would then hit it to right field scoring Giacoma and Vidal.
GCU could not respond and by the second inning SJSU added on three more runs. Once again the Lopes could not find their batting and fell short and only was able to complete one run, 9-1.
GCU’s junior utility Kristin Fifield was the only player on her team to have a run against SJSU during the bottom of the second.
During the third inning, the Spartans had two more runs by Ullegue and Graham, 11-1. GCU couldn’t recover from SJSU’s explosive first half of the game and went without a run all the way to the fifth.
The game ended during the fifth inning via mercy rule with Spartans sweeping Lopes, 11-1.
The Spartans will be kicking off the Silicon Valley Classic II on Friday afternoon against Idaho State University in San Jose, Calif.