Titans gets their revenge; bounce Spartans from Big Dance

By Ryan Vermont:

San Jose State has been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by California State Fullerton.

In the top of the 7th inning, Fullerton pushed across the first and only run of the game on a bang-bang play to win 1-0.

With a runner on third and two outs, Titans’ pinch hitter Ariana Burns hit a chopper to third which was snagged by junior third baseman Emma Entzminger on the dive. The Spartans third baseman jumped up, threw to first, but was a step too late and the runner at third came in to score.

Following an almost four hour gap after falling to UCLA in the winner’s bracket, the Spartans offense couldn’t string anything together. The Titans had eliminated the fourth team in the regional, Lehigh, less than 30 minutes prior to the start of this game.

Both teams had their chances to break the deadlock throughout the game.

The Titans had runners on in scoring position in four straight innings to open up the game, but SJSU’s starter senior Colette Riggs and the Spartans were able to escape unharmed.

San Jose State’s best opportunity came in their half of the fourth inning. With the bases full of Spartans and just one out, Chelsea Jenner hit a slow ground ball to the left side, which was picked up and thrown home for the second out.

Sophomore catcher Alyssa Avila then struck out after putting an end to the threat.

Riggs pitched five and a third innings before head coach made the change for fellow senior Katelyn Linford.

Linford got the last two outs in the sixth inning, but gave up 3 hits and the game-winning run in the top of the seventh.

The Spartans didn’t do much with their last three outs.

Sophomore Kaelin Amrein reached first on a throwing error with one out, but was then called out on a fielder’s choice in the next at bat.

Fifth year senior Casey Watt was fittingly the team’s last hope, the only member of the team with prior tournament experience.  She would go on to line out, putting an end to a season that will go in the university’s history books.

The program earned its first NCAA Tournament win and its first Mountain West conference title, all without a true home field.

The good note is the team is fairly young and the plan is in place for the team to hopefully have a brand new field before the 2018 season.

The bad note is that Spartans will need to replace the graduating class, each and every one of them.

With the season this team has had under the circumstances it’s had, the future seems to be a bright one.

 

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