May 4 - 10, 2022 EDITOR: Jason Freund • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Sports
The Daily Aztec
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Women’s tennis win Mountain West By Morgan Prickett SENIOR STAFF WRITER
San Diego State University’s women’s tennis team won the Mountain West Conference Championship after a 4-1 win in the final over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “The team felt like it was our title to win,’’ head coach Peter Mattera said to goaztecs. com. “It was just a tremendous effort by this team.” The title is the Aztecs’ first conference title since 2003 and automatically sends them to the NCAA Team Women’s Championship for the 23rd time in school history. Going into the tournament, the Aztecs had two players named to the 2022 Women’s Tennis All-Conference teams. Seniors Bunyawi Thamchaiwat — who is No .78 in the national ITA rankings — and Tamara Arnold were placed on the allconference singles and doubles teams. The Aztecs’ road to becoming Mountain West victors started with a quarterfinal matchup against the University of Wyoming on Thursday, April 28. In commanding fashion, the Aztecs defeated Wyoming 4-0. The duo of senior Alicia Melosch and junior Cécile Morin secured a 6-2 doubles win followed by seniors Nnena Nadozie and Regina Pitts, who won in a 7-6 (3) tiebreaker to secure the doubles point. Thamchaiwat, Melosch, and junior Julia Jordan then secured the win for the Aztecs by winning their singles matches before the others could finish.
Photo courtesy of SDSU Athletics
The Aztecs celebrate after winning the Mountain West Conference Championship over the UNLV Rebels. It is SDSU’s first conference title win since 2003.
The Aztecs were then matched up against Colorado State University in a semi-final battle on Friday, April 29. Yet again the Aztecs dominated the competition, this time winning 4-1. For just the ninth time this season, the Aztecs dropped the doubles point with only the No. 85 ranked duo of Thamchaiwat and Arnold picking up a win, with a convincing 6-0 victory.
Despite going down early, the Aztecs fought back and won four singles matches to secure the semi-final victory. Nadozie, Arnold, Jordan, and Melosch were the four Aztecs to rally the team to victory with their consecutive singles wins. The Aztecs were now Mountain West Championship bound in a matchup against UNLV on Saturday, April 30. Coincidentally, in 2019 when the last
Mountain West Championships were held, the final also featured both SDSU and UNLV with UNLV taking the win 4-0. This time it was the Aztecs who broke into celebration as they defeated UNLV 4-1. San Diego opened the match on the back foot after again dropping the doubles point. But much like the previous day, The Aztecs rallied back after losing their doubles point and took control of the game. “To be able to come back again today speaks to our overall team depth and our confidence regardless of who we are playing and what the situation is,” Mattera said to goaztecs.com. “They believe in themselves and each other. We were down 1-0, just like yesterday, and to go out after a five-minute break and not let it bother you. We were determined. We wanted the conference title. We wanted to go to the NCAAs. We were not going to let being down 1-0 bother them.” Thamchaiwat, Arnold, and Melosch all won their matchups, but it was who Nadozie clinched the Mountain West title for the Aztecs with a 6-4,6-2 win over UNLV senior Izumi Asano. “It is so fitting that Nnena (Nadozie) got to clinch the match. I could not be happier for her,” Mattera said. Next, the Aztecs will face the University of Southern California in the first round of the NCAA tournament after being drawn against them on Monday, May 2. The match will take place Friday, May 6 at 10 a.m. at Pepperdine University.
No. 22 Softball takes care of business against San Jose St.
Photo courtesy of SDSU Athletics
Senior pitcher Maggie Balint dazzled once again against San Jose State, mowing down seven Spartans in five innings of one-run softball to secure the first win of the three game series.
By Isabella Kunde CONTRIBUTOR
After a well fought victory against UC San Diego this past Wednesday, San Diego State softball swept San Jose State after scoring twenty five runs in three games. Game One: SDSU 7, SJSU 1 Senior Taylor Adams went 3-for-3 for the Aztecs, who out hit the Spartans 12-5 in the first game of the series. The Scarlet and Black came out swinging to start the game, loading the bases and scoring their first run off a single to left by freshman AJ Murphy San Diego State’s offense was dominant in the third inning as well, getting contributions from Adams, senior Alexa Schultz, freshman Makena Brocki and sophomore Macey Keester. The Aztecs furthered their lead with four runs on four hits, an error and a walk, making the score 5-0. The Spartans’ offense was only able to chip one run off senior pitcher Maggie Balint in the bottom of the third. A two-out single by sophomore Ashley Rico brought home senior Alyssa Graham, who was
called safe off an obstruction at the plate ruling, cutting the Aztecs’ lead to four. The Aztecs had no problem responding to SJSU’s run as Adams started the fourth inning with a walk and stole second. Senior Danielle Romanello got Adams home on a double and Murphy brought in the final run for the Aztecs with a single, increasing their lead to 7-1 Balint dominated the first five innings, allowing only one unearned run while striking out seven batters. Freshman Dee Dee Hernadez relieved Balint in the sixth inning, striking out two and remained scoreless for two innings. Game Two: SDSU 10, SJSU 2 The Aztecs run-ruled the Spartans in their second match of the weekend, out hitting them 10-4. San Diego State got momentum in the first inning when freshman AJ Murphy brought home two runners off a single. The Spartans were able to respond to the Aztecs’ fast start, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second on a double by sophomore Malia Luna. Keester drew a walk to begin the third, stole second and was brought home on a
triple by freshman Bella Espinoza. Schultz got an RBI in the fourth sending Adams home, adding to the Scarlet and Blacks’ lead 7-2 The Aztecs loaded the bases in the fifth inning with Adams, Espinoza, and Romanello each knocking in runs to increase their lead to 10-2 and taking complete control of the game. Adams and Murphy lead the Scarlet and Black’s offense combining for seven RBI’s. Adams went 6-for-6 after this matchup with four RBI’s. Game Three: SDSU 8, SJSU 3 The Aztecs completed the series sweep against the Spartans, out hitting them 147. Sophomore Mac Barbara got the momentum going with a lead off homer in the first inning — collecting her 14th homer of the season. Barbara showed up again in the second inning with a two out double scoring Brocki to make it 2-0
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Romanello increased the Aztecs lead to three after she collected an RBI in the third knocking in Schultz. Barbara drove in her third run of the game in the fourth inning. Sophomore Jillian Celis followed with a sacrifice grounder scoring Espinoza, putting the Aztecs up 5-0. San Jose State was finally able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out triple by senior Jenessa Ullegue scoring freshman Jules Ronquillo and making the score 5-1 heading into the final inning. Brocki and the Aztecs offense answered back the following inning with a basesloaded double that gave SDSU a 8-1 lead. The Spartans put up a fight in the bottom of the seventh after loading the bases with three singles off Dee Dee Hernandez, but Hernandez was able to get out of the jam striking out the next two batters and getting some help from her infield for the final out.
