LA JOLLA, Calif. – The San Francisco State softball team split two extra-inning games with UC San Diego on Saturday in a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader at Triton Softball Field in La Jolla, Calif. The Gators (4-5, 1-3 CCAA) opened the day with a 9-8 victory in 10 innings, before the Tritons (6-2, 3-1 CCAA) came back to capture game two, 5-4, in eight innings.
The Gators gave up an early run in game one, but got the equalizer in the top of the second when Kelly McDonald's (Gilroy, California, Live Oak) sacrifice fly brought home Kelsey Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook), who had previously led off the inning with a double and promptly advanced to third on a passed ball.
UCSD tallied a pair of runs in third and added another score in the fourth to grab a 4-1 advantage. However, SF State erupted for four runs in the fifth to take the lead first time in the game, 5-4. Karolyn Gubbine (Richmond, California, Pinole Valley) got the rally started with a walk, while Monica Amburgey (Monterey, California, Monterey) reached on an error. After a flyout, Kendra Wood singled through the right side to drive in Gubbine. Then Lea Cardenas (Sanger, California, Sanger) smacked her third home run of the season, to put the Gators ahead.
The lead proved to be short-lived as the Tritons responded with two runs in their half of the frame. However, SF State knotted things up once again in the seventh on Kendra Wood's second sacrifice fly of the contest, scoring Gubbine who had earlier singled and eventually reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Kelsey Wood. With the score tied at 6-6, UCSD failed to score in its half of the seventh, sending the game into extra innings.
The two teams traded runs in the ninth; however, the Gators went ahead to stay at 9-7 after plating two runs in the top of the 10th. With one out, Gubbine reached on an error and scored shortly thereafter on Amburgey's double to left field. Following another Triton miscue, Cardenas drove in her fourth run of the game with a single to score Amburgey from third.
UCSD pulled to within 9-8 after scoring a run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th on a sacrifice fly. However, reliever Vanessa Truan (San Jose, California, Leland) struck out the next batter, Jenni Habib, to record her second save of the year.
Despite allowing six earned runs on 10 hits and five walks through nine innings, Ashley Jackson (Vallejo, California, St. Patrick's-St. Vincent) (2-1) picked up the win, while Christine Zankich (2-1) took the loss, giving up three unearned runs in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Kendra Wood led the Gator offense with three hits in the contest, while Amburgey and Cardenas had two hits apiece.
SF State jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning of game two, courtesy of Danielle Chapman's (San Jose, California, Westmont, San Jose City College) RBI single and Gubbine's three-run homer over the left field fence.
The Tritons battled back with a single run in the third, while Kristyn Lesovsky's double brought home two additional runners in the bottom of the fourth, pulling the home team to within 4-3.
After the Gators were unable to score in their half of the seventh, UCSD tied things up at 4-4 after Nicole Saari came home from third on an error with two outs, sending the contest into extra frames once again.
The Gators put a runner aboard in the top of the eighth, but were unable to cash in on the opportunity. Then the Tritons plated the game-winner when Allison May hit a one out double to left, scoring Lesovsky, who had earlier singled and advanced to second on a groundout.
Tess Granath (1-0) pitched 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, giving up just one hit and three walks to earn the win, while Kendra Wood (0-2), who entered in the eighth, was saddled with the loss.
SF State returns to the diamond on Wednesday, Feb. 18, when it travels to Belmont, Calif., to face Notre Dame de Namur in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
