Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BELMONT --- SF State opened its week of non-conference matchups at Notre Dame de Namur, grabbing the first game in a close 1-0 result. The Gators surrendered eight early runs in the nightcap, which proved to be too much for them to overcome as they suffered the 8-4 loss to settle with a split.

Ashley Huff led the bat for the Gators with a 4-for-8 performance, picking up three hits in the first game. Marisa Ibarra (9-4) threw her ninth win, striking out six batters and allowing just one hit en route to her fourth shutout of the season in the doubleheader opener. Emily Gibson suffers the loss in the nightcap to drop 3-5 on the season. Defensively, Kelsey Murakami made six putouts and six assists for the Gators.

"I'm really proud of Marisa for coming out again and pitching a great game to give us the opportunity to win a ball game," said head coach Cristina Byrne. "She's been lights out, keeping us in every game. Our defense is playing well behind her. I thought our communication was great today. We had a couple of tough 'tweeners' [where the ball is in between two players] and we made some really good plays."

SF State started strong in the first inning at the plate, posting three hits, but couldn't send runners around to score until the top of the fourth.

Courtney Gravel led the Gators off with a single down the left line and advanced to second as the Argonauts grabbed an out on the next play. Gravel moved up another base on another ground out, putting her in scoring position at third with two outs. Gabby Reta hit another grounder to NDNU's third baseman, but the Argonaut couldn't control the ball, allowing Gravel to score and Reta to reach safely on.

The Gators held off the Argonauts to head back into the dugout on offense and looked to add more runs. Huff took advantage of an error to reach on base and then proceded to steal second. NDNU's catcher misthrew her attempt to get Huff out at second, allowing Huff to reach third, but SF State couldn't send her home.

SF State had a chance to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh, but one of the Gators' base hits touched a runner for interference, sending Sarah Catania streaking home from third back to third base. The Argonauts found the third out, however, sneaking out of the inning without any runs surrendered.

Murakami and Ibarra teamed up in the bottom of the seventh to hold the Argonauts off the scoreboard as Murakami picked up the first two outs before Ibarra struck out her sixth batter to secure the 1-0 win.

"We made enough plays to win a ball game and were lucky enough to stay within ourselves on offense," said Byrne. "We got the ball on the ground hard and scored a run that proved to be the difference. I think the way Marisa's pitching right now is really keeping us in ball games and giving us opportunities."

Lucy Fernandez opened the nightcap with a single to right field, but the Gators couldn't produce any runs in their first chance at bat.

After tallying just one hit in the first game, Notre Dame de Namur came alive with two outs in the bottom of the first. The Argonauts plated four runs off three hits and a Gator error. 

"Emily [Gibson] came out a little flat, but that's going to happen every once in a while," said Byrne. "She's been pitching amazingly well. We gave up a few runs early and kind of got us down, but I was proud of the fact that we never gave up, we kept fighting back."

Back on offense, the Gators put two runners on base in the top of the second off singles from Reta and Catania, but all too familiarly left the pair stranded heading into the bottom half of the inning.

Building off the momentum it grabbed in the opening inning, NDNU added four more runs in the second to take a staggering 8-0 lead. Sarah Montecino led the inning with a long ball over the left field fence and three more hits added three more runs before the Gators could find out number three.

Desperately needing to score runs, SF State continued to find success from the batter's box with hits, but couldn't put itself on the board until the top of the fourth.

With one out, Murakami walked and was joined on base by Catania after she singled to center. Brittany Barcellos reached first by taking advantage of another Argonaut error and Murakami plated the Gators' first run of the game. Huff got on base off a fielder's choice, which took Barcellos out in the process, to put runners at first and third. Huff stole second and once again advanced to third on a misthrow from the NDNU catcher, giving Catania the green light to add another run to put the game at 8-2.

Still trailing 8-2 heading into their last chance at the plate, the Gators needed to find six runs to keep the game alive. Gravel started things off for SF State with a single throw the left side and advanced to second on a fielding error from the left fielder. The Argonauts grabbed the next putout, but Gravel advanced to third on the play and was joined on base as Andrade walked.

With runners at first and third and one out, Reta hit a hard ball back at the pitcher, but she couldn't control it granting Gravel permission to score and advance Andrade to second. Murakami grabbed a base hit to right to load up the bases, putting hope of a comeback into the Gator dugout. Catania made solid contact with the ball, sending it deep to center. Hilary Uekawa made the grab, but Andrade tagged up to score. NDNU found the third out, however, ending the Gators' late-game rally to secure the 8-4 Argonaut victory.

"We stayed up throughout the game and got our hits and scored a few runs here and there," said Byrne. "We just spotted them too big of a lead to come back from, but I was very proud of the fact that we fought. I think we truly believed we could come back from 8-0 and win it. That's most of the battle, them believing in themselves. 

"I think we're on the right road," said Byrne. "I would have liked two, but we'll take the split against a good team and move on to Sunday." 

SF State returns home for some more non-conference action, hosting Dominican University of California on Sunday for a pair of games beginning at 1 p.m., hoping to avenge an earlier 3-0 loss from the Penguins. The Gators pick back up in the California Collegiate Athletic Association next week as they face Humboldt State on March 22 and 23.