Turlock, Calif.---SF State's softball team finished 4-2 at the 2009 Tournament of Champions (presented by Mizuno) by going 1-1 today in the Silver Championship bracket. The Gators started off the day defeating the Notre Dame de Namur Argonauts 7-0 this morning. They then lost 3-2 to Central Washington in the semi-finals of the bracket. The Gators are 8-2 in their last ten games and improved their overall record to 22-19. 

Ashley Jackson (Vallejo, California, St. Patrick's-St. Vincent) (12-7) pitched her third complete game victory of the tournament by giving up just three hits while striking out 12 and walking one in the Gators' 7-0 win over Notre Dame de Namur. This was her second double digit strikeout performance of the tournament, on Friday she struck out a school record 16 batters in the Gators' 3-1 win over Central Washington. For the tournament, she has struck out 33 batters and walked just three in 22 innings of work while recording two complete game shutouts.

She is now 3^rd on the Gators' career list with 223 strikeouts and 6^th on the  career list with 27 wins

The Gators scored all the runs that Jackson needed with a three-run second inning. Arianna Welch (Tracy, California, West) hit a one-out triple and scored on Kelly McDonald (Gilroy, California, Live Oak) single to center field. With two outs, Karolyn Gubbine (Richmond, California, Pinole Valley) and later scored with McDonald on a two-run double to left field by Kendra Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook) 

SF State added an insurance run in the fourth and broke the game open with a three-run sixth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Welch finished the game 3 for 4 while scoring three times and Kendra Wood was 3 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Michelle McMahon (5-11) picked up the loss for Notre Dame de Namur, who fell to 10-31-1. 

Then in SF State's semi-final 3-2 loss to Central Washington (18-14), Vanessa Truan (San Jose, California, Leland) (3-5) recorded the loss. She pitched seven innings, giving up eight hits and three runs while striking out eight and walking two. Truan now has 246 strikeouts in her career to place her second on the Gators' career list in strikeouts.

Linse Vlahovich (12-5) picked up the win for the Wildcats in relief, pitching three innings of scoreless ball while giving up two hits and striking out four.

Lea Cardenas (Sanger, California, Sanger)solo home run in the second gave the Gators an early 1-0 lead. This was her team leading sixth home run of the season and 13^th in her career at SF State, which places her 5^th on the school's all-time career list. 

Holly Rossman gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead with a two-run home run in the top of the third inning. SF State tied the game in their frame as Kelsey Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook) drove in Karolyn Gubbine on a sacrifice fly. 

            The game remained tied at 2-2, until the Wildcat half of the seventh. Jackie Hawkins opened the inning with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Rossman for the game-winning run.

            SF State had a chance to tie or win the game in its half of the seventh. Carolyn Knudson (Napa, California, Napa Valley Junior College) led off the frame with a lead-off single and Arianna Welch came in for her to pinch-run. Welch advanced to second on an illegal pitch and third on a wild pitch. Then Vlahovich retired the final three Gators on back to back strike outs and a ground out to preserve the win for Central Washington, who will now play Grand Canyon for the Silver Bracket Championship.

            Rossman finished 1-3 with three RBIs for the Wildcats, who are ninth in this week's NCAA Division II West Region Rankings. Hawkins was 2 for 3 while scoring twice and Danielle Mason also had three hits for Central Washington.

            Gubbine was 2 for 4 with a run scored for the Gators, who will return home this Thursday, April 9 at 1pm, when they host the CSU Dominguez Hills Toros in a conference doubleheader at SFSU's Softball Field.