BELMONT, Calif.--- SF State swept a non-conference doubleheader this afternoon from the Notre Dame de Namur Argonauts 4-2, 6-1 at Notre Dame High School in Belmont, California. With the victories, the Gators improve to 17-20 overall. Freshman
Danielle Mestas (Los Angeles, California, Venice ) had three hits in the doubleheader including a double, triple, and home run while scoring three runs and driving in three.
The Gators took a 1-0 lead in the opener as Danielle Mestas tripled with one out and scored when
Kelsey Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook)reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the first inning.
Karolyn Gubbine (Richmond, California, Pinole Valley) drove in the Gators' second run with a one-out single that scored
Rachael Kroneder (Pleasanton, California, Amador Valley), who led off the inning with a single.
Notre Dame de Namur cut the Gator lead in half in its half of the third on a RBI single by Breanna Morales. The game remained 2-1 Gators until the top of the seventh inning when Mestas hit a two-run home run to give SF State a 4-1 lead.
The Argonauts made a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Morales hit a one-out double and scored on a single by Danielle Gray after advanced to third when Robin Araujo reached on an error. SF State reliever
Kendra Wood (San Jose, California, Lynbrook)got the next batter to line into a double play to end the game and preserve the 4-2 victory for the Gators.
Marisa Ibarra (Hollister, California, San Benito )picked up the win improving to 6-6, pitching 6 innings, giving up five hits and one run while striking out four and walking five.
Kendra Wood pitched the seventh inning, giving up two hits and one run en route to her fourth save of the season.
Mestas finished game one going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and scoring twice and Gubbine also had two hits for the Gators.
Mary Ortega recorded the loss for the Argonauts, pitching 7 innings, giving up 8 hits and four runs while striking out two and walking one. Morales and Gray each had two hits to lead the way for the hosts.
In the night cap, the Gators took a 5-0 lead after their first two innings. Gubbine started game two with a lead-off double and scored on a double by Mestas, who later scored on a single by
Lea Cardenas (Sanger, California, Sanger) to give SF State a 2-0 lead. They added three more runs in the second with
Heather Jensen (Sacramento, California, Del Campo) double scoring
Jessica Delgado (Monterey, California, Cal State Monterey Bay) starting the scoring for the Gators in the inning.
Notre Dame de Namur (10-28) scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ortega drove home Michele McMahon with a two-out single. The Gators added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on back to back doubles by Delgado and McDonald to give the Gators a 6-1 lead, a lead that they would hold on to in the bottom of the seventh.
McMahon recorded the loss for the Argonauts, pitching 7 innings, giving up 13 hits and six runs (five earned) while striking out two and walking one. Araujo went 3-for-3 for Notre Dame de Namur.
Carolyn Knudson (Napa, California, Napa Valley Junior College) (1-2) picked up the win, pitching 5 innings, giving up 5 hits and one run, walking one, and striking out two.
Ashley Jackson (Vallejo, California, St. Patrick's-St. Vincent)pitched the final two innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Four Gators had two hits apiece in
Kylie Herrada (Gilroy, California, Gilroy), McDonald, Kronedar, and Jensen.
SF State will return home this weekend for a four-game conference series with Chico State beginning with a 1pm starting doubleheader this Friday, April 9.
