By Anfisa Pitchkhadze – Spear Reporter | (Photo by Abel Tariku – The Spear)
San Jose State softball (1-5) clicked on offense in its home opener on Friday that led to a 9-2 win over UIC (3-4). It was the team’s first win of the season.
The Spartans had the bats fired up in their first game in the Silicon Valley Classic.
“The team really prepared this way to come out and really challenge ourselves to put the bat in play,” SJSU head coach Tammy Lohmann said. “You put the ball in play and attack in the play.”
SJSU started off hot in the first inning scoring four runs. Junior Shay McDowell hit a triple to right center.
McDowell had a stellar game finishing with two runs scored, a career-high five RBIs and went 2-for-4 to earn her first run of the season.
With McDowell’s hit, senior Aubrie Thomas, sophomore Haley Reeve and junior Reina Zermeno all scored a run.
“You can never score too many runs,” Lohmann said. “It was great to see a lot of different hitters come up in some key situations and put as many as we did.”
Reeve would go 3-for-4 on hits, with her three hits marking a career-high in a single-game while hitting two singles, a double and scoring a run.
The Flames would respond to the Spartans by scoring two runs from senior Jojo Santiago and freshman Nina Pesare, UIC’s only runs throughout the game.
Senior pitcher Mia Reynolds contained UIC by recording six strikeouts allowing only one run and four hits.
“It was my team keeping me in it and keeping me locked in just reminding me to be me and go out there,” Reynolds said.
SJSU were explosive on offense in the sixth by scoring five runs as senior infielder Ahmiya Noriega and senior catcher Aneesa Almaguer stepped up. Both went 2-for-4 on hits and scored a run.
Noriega’s triple hit led to a Chillingwort run and Almaguer’s double allowed Noriega to score.
The Spartans played their best game of the season including setting a season high of 15 hits.
