SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The San Francisco State softball team jumped back into conference play on Friday, falling to Cal State San Bernardino, 5-1 and 7-3, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader at Coyote Softball Park in San Bernardino, Calif. With the sweep, the Gators drop to 9-12 on the season and 4-10 in league action, while CSUSB raises its record to 11-17 overall and 6-8 in the CCAA.
SF State was limited to just one run on three hits in the opener, featuring Lea Cardenas' (Sanger, California, Sanger) third homer of year in the top of the second inning, which tied the score at 1-1. However, Brittany Hoban gave the Coyotes the lead for good with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth.
The Coyotes then tacked on three unearned runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach. After consecutive singles by Jacquelyn Holtzclaw and Debbie Shisler, Alex Mitchell beat out an infield hit, while a Gator throwing error on the play allowed all three runners to score.
Shisler (7-5) went the distance, striking out seven batters while walking none en route to the victory, while Gator starter Ashley Jackson (Vallejo, California, St. Patrick'-St. Vincent) (5-4) gave up five runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk in four innings of work.
In the nightcap, SF State grabbed an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first when Kelsey Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook) smacked her first home run of the season—a two-run shot over the left field fence, driving in Danielle Chapman (San Jose, California, Westmont, San Jose City College), who led off the frame with a single.
CSUSB countered with a run in the bottom of the first when Mitchell tripled and later scored on Ashley Collinwood's RBI single. The Coyotes then took a 3-2 lead in the second on Shisler's double down the left field line, which brought home Courtney Wilhelms and Maggie Karros.
After plating a run in the fourth, CSUSB gave itself some breathing room with a trio of scores in the fifth, highlighted by Tori Beaudette's two-run double and a Karros RBI single. Trailing 7-2, the Gators answered with a run in the top the sixth on Chapman's RBI single, knocking in pinch runner Lauren Candia (San Francisco, California, University of San Francisco). SF State then put two runners aboard in the seven, but was unable to draw closer as reliever Cassidy Lee recorded two strikeouts to end the threat.
Despite allowing 10 hits in six innings, Karros (1-2) picked up the win, while Kendra Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook) (1-4) took the loss after giving up four runs on seven hits and one walk in 3 1/13 innings. Chapman, Cardenas, Kelsey Wood and Karolyn Gubbine (Richmond, California, Pinole Valley) had two hits apiece to lead the Gator offense.
