Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO – Kelsey Barak hit a three-run homer in the top of the seventh inning as visiting Grand Canyon pulled away for a 7-1 victory over San Francisco State in non-conference softball action Saturday at SF State.
 
With the victory, the Antelopes captured the weekend series two games to one, raising their record to 12-8 in the process, while the Gators slip to 6-18 on the season.
 
The two sides were locked in a pitchers' duel until the fourth inning, when GCU drew first blood, scoring a trio of unearned runs after capitalizing on the first of four SF State errors on the day.  Lauren Regester's infield hit plated Kara Holtorf, while pinch-hitter Kiki Sepulveda delivered a key two-run single with two outs shortly thereafter to give the visitors a 3-0 lead they would not relinquish.
 
Starting pitcher Kiley Raica kept the Gator bats in check with just one hit through five innings, until the hosts pushed across a run in the sixth following three consecutive two-out singles by Heather Jensen, Kylie Herrada and Kelsey Murakami.  Summer Powell then drew a walk to load bases, but Raica wiggled free of further trouble after inducing a pop foul to squelch the SF State threat.
 
The 'Lopes soon put the contest out of reach with a four-spot in the seventh, highlighted by Barak's sixth homer of the season.  Stephanie Smith also added an RBI double to account for GCU's other score of the inning. 
 
Raica (8-3) subsequently retired the Gators in order in the bottom of the frame to nail down the complete-game victory, while her SF State counterpart, Marisa Ibarra (4-6), took the loss after allowing all seven runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks in seven innings as well.  The Gator hurler finished with six strikeouts for the second day in a row, raising her career total to 192, which now ranks fourth in school history.
 
SF State returns to the diamond on Wednesday, March 14 when it plays host to Cal Baptist in a non-conference doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m.

Box Score