Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Turlock, Calif. – The SF State softball team went 1-1 on Saturday to improve to 4-1 in Pool Play on the second day of the Tournament of Champions hosted by Cal State Stanislaus.  The Gators defeated Academy of Art 9-1 in five innings to start the day before falling to Dominican 7-5 in a hard fought contest in the nightcap at Pedretti Sports Complex & Turlock Regional Sports Complex.

All told it was a fantastic day at the plate for the SF State (14-26) as the collected 13 hits and 14 runs over the two games.  Courtney Gravel led the Gators at the dish going a combined 3-for-6 with three runs scored and an RBI.

In game one the Gators once again squared off against an opponent they had faced earlier in the year.  The Gators split with the Urban Knights on February 12.  Today, it was all SF State, as the Gators pounded Academy of Art for nine runs on seven hits; with the Gators 1-through-4 hitters doing most of the damage, accounting for six of the RBI's.

For the fourth-straight game the Gators received a tremendous pitching performance.  Today it was turned in by freshman Courtney Dunkel (1-2) who earned her first collegiate win, going the distance.  Dunkel needed just 62 pitches, throwing 37 for strikes, while scattering seven hits, one earned run, and a walk. 

In the fifth inning, just three outs from her first win, the Urban Knights mounted a rally.  A hit batter and a pair of base hits brought a run in and had two runners on for Dunkel.  From there, the Gators defense helped close the door, getting Academy of Art to hit into a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning and followed that up with a game ending double play on a fly ball to center and nice relay from Lewis to Grabowski to throw out a runner at home.

The Gators set the tone early, scoring three runs in the first, two in the second and four in the third to jump out to a 9-0 lead.  In the first, Gravel started the rally, reaching by way of an error by the shortstop; it was the first of four Urban Knight errors on the day.  She moved to second on a one-out single by Jennifer Lewis.  Lucy Fernandez followed that up with a single up the middle scoring Gravel.  Kylie Grabowski extended the inning when an errant throw by the pitcher Jill Johnson (6-9) allowed Lewis and Fernandez to score.

In the top of the second the Gators added two more runs on one hit, a leadoff single by red-hot Aryn Guzman, she finished the game 1-for-2 with two runs scored.  Gravel finished the game 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored and a run driven in.  Lewis went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two driven in, Chelsea Brent wen 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a run driven in.

The Gators chased Johnson out of the game in the bottom of the third inning; the Academy of Art's starter lasted just 2.1 innings, surrendering three hits, seven runs, two earned, with a walk in the losing effort.

In the night cap the Gators turned to starter Megan Clark (6-10) yet again and the lefty did not disappoint, pitching five strong innings before running into trouble in the bottom of the sixth.

Dominican (15-18) entered the bottom of the sixth trailing 5-1 after the Gators busted through for five runs in the top half of the sixth inning.  However, Clark was not able to hold the lead after pitching 19 innings over two days.  As Penguins tallied six runs on four hits, the go ahead runs coming on Tori Johnson base hit that plated a pair of runs.

Jenny Obbema took over for Clark and got the Gators out of the jam but the damage had been done.

Ashlyn Moriarity (10-8) hung in there for the win, going seven complete, scattering six hits, five runs, two earned with two walks and a strike out.  She set the Gators down in order in the top of the seventh to close the door on SF State.

In the top of the sixth inning the Gators offense blasted the Penguins starter for five runs on five hits, Selina Rodriguez doubled to left center for an RBI, Fernandez plated a run with an infield single and Reta knocked in a run with a single to right center.

The Gators will return to action tomorrow when they play Saint Martin's at 9:30 a.m. in the Bronze Bracket.   

Box Score From Game 1

Box Score From Game 2