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SAN FRANCISCO – Cara Spence's RBI single in the sixth inning plated Kelsey Murakami with the go-ahead run as the San Francisco State softball team held on for a dramatic 2-1 victory over Chico State in game two of a California Collegiate Athletic twin-bill on Wednesday at SF State. 
 
Jenna Wermes also smacked her first home run of the season to help the Gators snap a five-game losing streak after the Purple and Gold dropped a 7-2 decision in the opener.
 
With the split, SF State moves to 7-21 overall and 4-16 in conference play, while the Wildcats, who moved up into a tie for sixth in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II poll, now stand at 21-6 on the season and 15-5 in the CCAA.
 
In the nightcap, the two teams found themselves in a scoreless duel until the bottom of the fifth when Wermes, a Chico State transfer, belted a 2-1 pitch over the fence in straight-away center field to give the host school a 1-0 advantage.
 
However, the visitors struck back with a long ball of their own as Bianca Lopez led off the top of the sixth with her first homer of the season to knot the score at 1-1.
 
With a thick fog beginning to engulf the playing field, the Gators scratched for a run in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by Spence's clutch hit.  Murakami led off with a single to right field and advanced on Lucy Fernandez ground-out.   Spence then stepped up to the plate and roped a 3-2 offering from Wildcat starter Jessica McDermott into right field as Murakami raced home with the go-ahead score.
 
Clinging to a precarious 2-1 lead, SF State survived some anxious moments in the seventh after starter Becky Nakano retired the first two batters.  However, Chico pinch-hitter Sam Baker drew a walk, while Brittany Wright singled through the right side. Shortly thereafter, Diana Payan laced another base hit to shallow left field, but  Jackie Munoz, who previously re-entered for Baker on the basepaths, rounded third, but was unable to slide in safely at home as Wermes deftly blocked the plate after collecting Heather Jensen's throw on the fly and supplied the victory-preserving tag.
 
Nakano (1-3) went the distance, scattering seven hits and two walks for her first collegiate win, while McDermott (7-2) absorbed the loss after giving up both runs on five hits and four walks in six innings of work.
 
In game one, the Gators were unable to overcome an early deficit as Hailey Stockman drove in a trio of runners in the top of the first inning with her seventh homer of the year to highlight a four-run Chico outburst.
 
SF State finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Wermes knocked in Courtney Gravel with a well-placed single down the left-field line.
 
However, the Wildcats gave themselves some additional breathing room in the top of the fifth as Lopez doubled home Wright and scored moments later on Stockman's single to center.
 
Stockman (3-for-4) then added her fifth RBI of the contest with a run-scoring double in the seventh, while Jordan Brenner touched home on a wild pitch for the host school in the bottom of the frame to account for the final margin.
 
Baker (9-3) collected her team-leading ninth win of the year after giving up one run on six hits and one walk in four innings, before yielding to Kayla McConnell, who pitched the final three frames for her third save of the season.  Conversely, SF State starter Ali Garica (1-5) was tagged with the loss after surrendering six runs on 10 hits in five innings.
 
In addition to Stockman's heroics, Lopez finished with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate as well and scored three runs, while Wright finished with hits and two runs scored.  Spence and Gravel also contributed two hits apiece for the Gators in the defeat.
 
SF State continues its busy stretch when it plays host to Cal State Stanislaus in another four-game series, March 23-24.  Friday's doubleheader is set to get underway at 1 p.m., while Saturday's twin-bill is slated for a noon start.