CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The San Diego softball program (3-14, 0-0 WCC) concluded play at the Mary Nutter Classic on Sunday, falling 2-1 to No. 19 Northwestern (6-6, 0-0 Big Ten) and 4-1 to Utah Valley (5-9, 0-0 WAC) at the Big League Dreams complex.  
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – SAN DIEGO 1, NO. 19 NORTHWESTERN 2

• Facing the ranked Wildcats, the Toreros were up to the task against the 2022 Women's College World Series participant.
• Courtney Rose got the start in the circle for the Toreros and was fantastic, matching Northwestern starter Cami Henry pitch-for-pitch.
• The Toreros were the first to strike on offense, as Joecellia Roberts and Taylor Johnson opened the third inning with singles.
• Arisa Tovar continued her big weekend and nearly missed a home run, launching a ball off the center field wall and scoring Roberts to take a 1-0 lead.
• The Toreros threatened for more runs in the inning, but stranded two on base.
• Rose continued to roll and sat down the next three batters in the fourth inning.
• The Wildcats finally struck in the fifth inning, as they capitalized on a Toreros error and hit a two-run home run to take the lead.
• Rose bounced back quickly, striking out the next two batters and held the high-powered Wildcats off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
• The redshirt junior polished off a complete seven innings, striking out a season-high seven batters, but the Toreros could not get back on the scoreboard to support her.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED – SAN DIEGO 1, UTAH VALLEY 4

• Much like the opening game, both pitchers opened with back-to-back scoreless frames.
• However, Utah Valley was the first to break the stalemate, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third inning.
• San Diego found multiple chances to get back in the game and were able to strike for their first run in the fifth inning, when Mikalyn Emanuelli delivered an RBI sacrifice bunt to make it 3-1.
• However, Tovar was left stranded at third base and the Toreros could score no more runs in the inning.
• Utah Valley added some insurance in the fifth inning with an additional run and were able to keep San Diego off the base paths for the remainder of the contest.

 
TORERO TIDBITS

• Rose has been on a tear in recent days, with a 0.33 ERA over her last four appearances (21.1 IP).
• The seven strikeouts by Rose against the No. 19 Wildcats are the most by the Toreros pitching staff in a game this season.
• Johnson has now been hit by nine pitches this season, matching the most by a Torero in a single season since Olivia Sandusky in 2016.
• Tovar recorded at least one RBI in four straight games this weekend. She is the first Torero to do that since Sofia Delgado from Mar. 27 to Apr. 15, 2022.

 
UP NEXT
The Toreros will return home to open a lengthy stint at home and in the city of San Diego, welcoming California Baptist on Wednesday, Mar. 1 at 5:30 p.m. The game will be streamed via the WCC Network.