By Sara Biela (@sarabielaa ):
Madison Aurin supplied three RBIs in San Jose State softball’s 4-2 win over the Providence Friars, helping the Spartans finish on a high note at the Louisville Slugger tournament.
The Spartans (12-7) extended their win streak to three games.
After earning 10 hits against the Wagner Seahawks on Saturday, the team cooled off Sunday as it combined for just five against Providence.
“Wins are wins, but we’re not striking the ball very well,” said head coach Peter Turner. “We’re fortunate the get the wins we have against good pitching. We’re not where I want us to be, but we’re improving.”
SJSU got on the board first with a two-RBI sacrifice fly from Aurin in the first inning.
PU’s junior right fielder Emma Lee made a great catch in foul territory, but her momentum delayed her throw. That allowed senior shortstop Emma Entzminger and sophomore right field Kaelin Amrein to score on the play and make it 2-0 SJSU.
The Friars (3-8) responded in the top of the second with one run on a bases-loaded walk, making it 2-1.
Aurin got her third and final RBI in the third inning. She reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Amrein.
The Friars however, would not go quietly. PU made it a one-run game again in the fifth inning as senior third baseman Paige Mulry crossed the plate on an error by Entzminger.
In the bottom half, the Spartans responded with a much needed insurance run.
Entzminger scored all the way from first base on a pass ball and an overthrow from Friars’ freshman catcher Marisa Jenkins. Entzminger made it 4-2 after five.
Aurin came in for relief for freshman Caroline Bowman in the sixth inning and shut the door in the seventh to secure the 4-2 victory.
Sophomore starting pitcher Desiree Severance threw 47 pitches in 1.2 innings, but was not credited with the win because she did not pitch the four-inning minimum.
Bowman, who tossed four innings and only gave up a run and a hit was given the win, her seventh of the season.
The team was only able to squeeze in two of the five games scheduled this weekend after being rained out on Friday and Saturday’s in progress game against the Friars being cancelled because of lightning.
“I wish we would’ve got four or five games in this weekend. I thought we needed it,” Turner said. “We have a tough weekend ahead of us and then we start league.”
The Spartans will take a few days off and prepare to face some familiar opponents from last year’s NCAA postseason in the Louisville Slugger Invitational next weekend in Southern California.
