LA JOLLA, Calif. – The San Francisco State softball team opened its 2009 California Collegiate Athletic Association schedule on a sour note, dropping a doubleheader to UC San Diego in La Jolla, Calif. The Gators (3-4) fell in game one, 6-4, before suffering a 5-4 defeat in the rain-shortened six-inning nightcap.
In game one, UCSD (5-1) broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth when Lauren Chastain drove in Nicole Saari from third with a two-out single to center field. The Tritons then added four runs in the fifth, three of which were unearned, to take a 5-0 lead.
SF State got on the board in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs to cut the deficit to 5-2. The Gators quickly loaded the bases after Monica Amburgey (Monterey, California, Monterey) led off with a single to left, followed by a Kelsey Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook) walk and a single to center by Kendra Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook). Amburgey crossed the plate shortly thereafter when Lea Cardenas reached on an error, while Kelsey Wood later scored a double-play ground ball. SF State kept the pressure on with two walks, but Christine Zankich relieved Chastain and induced a foul out to get out of the jam.
UCSD plated a run in its half of the sixth; however, the Gators responded with two additional scores in the seventh to close within 6-4. After Karolyn Gubbine (Richmond, California, Pinole Valley) reached on an error, SF State loaded the bases once again following a pair of walks to Amburgey and Kelsey Wood. Kendra Wood and Elizabeth Best-Still (Rancho Cordova, California, Cordova) promptly lifted consecutive sacrifice flies to bring home Gubbine and Amburgey, respectively. However, the Gator rally came up short as Triton reliever Brittany Sheats came in to record the final out.
Chastain (2-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings to pick up the victory, giving up one earned run on six hits and three walks to go along with three strikeouts. Meanwhile, Ashley Jackson (Vallejo, California, St. Patrick's-St. Vincent) (1-1) took the loss, allowing five runs (two earned) on eight hits and one walk in five innings of work.
In the nightcap, SF State erased a 1-0 deficit with four runs in the top of the fourth, highlighted by Kendra Wood's two-run single the Gators a 4-1 lead. However, UCSD fought back with four runs of its own in the bottom half of the frame to reclaim a 5-4 edge. Allison May supplied the big hit with a three-run double off SF State reliever Carolyn Knudson (Napa, California, Vintage, Napa Valley Junior College) and later scored the go-ahead run on Amanda Eliades' single. The Gators got a runner on base in the top of the sixth, but were unable to captialize on the opportunity, as the game was called after the Tritons batted in the bottom half of the inning.
Gubbine and Kendra Wood each had two hits in the second game to pace the Gator offense. In the circle, Knudson (1-2) took the loss for SF State, giving up one run on three hits in one inning of relief, while Zankich (2-0) earned the victory after re-entering the game with two outs in the fifth, allowing no runs on four hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings combined.
SF State and UCSD will wrap up their four-game weekend series with another twin bill on Saturday, Feb. 14, beginning at noon.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
