SAN FRANCISCO – The SF State softball team received yet another tremendous pitching performance from game one starter Megan Clark as the Gators earned a split with visiting Western Oregon on Wednesday to wrap up a season-long 16 game home stand. Behind Clark's strong pitching the Gators took game one 3-0 before falling in the nightcap 9-5.

"In the first game, Megan (Clark) threw a heck of a game," said head coach Cristina Byrne.  "She kept their hitters of balance and held them at bay with runners in scoring position.  Our hitters did a great job of jumping out early and scoring runs in the first and second inning and giving us the chance to fight from out front and Megan took it from there.  In game two, we allowed too many base runners and they were able to get the clutch and timely hits that we weren't able to get.  I loved our fight at the end and I'm happy with our offensive output, we just have to be better on the mound to keep us in the game."

For the day, the Gators (7-21) offense collected eight runs on 19 hits, most of that coming in the nightcap.  Leading the offensive charge was junior center fielder Jennifer Lewis.  Lewis finished the afternoon going 4-for-7 with four RBI, three runs scored and a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two.

But the day belonged to Clark (3-8) who threw an eight hit, complete game shutout in game one.  Clark faced just eight over the minimum, on just 78 pitches.  Over her last four starts Clark is 3-1 with a 1.28 ERA.  Today she was masterful, scattering the eight hits and never letting the Wolves mount a serious threat.

The Gators got Clark all the run support she would need in the bottom of the first inning scoring a run on an error by Western Oregon's (11-15) third baseman on a ground ball off the bat of Lucy Fernandez.

SF State added a run in the second on an RBI double to left center by Selina Rodriguez that scored Marisa Andrade from second.  The Gators added yet another run in the fifth on the perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Lewis that scored Sara Higa from third.

Taking the ball for the Wolves in game one was Alyson Boytz (4-7).  Boytz went the distance, going 6.0 complete, surrendering nine hits, three runs, two earned with a walk and a strike out.

Rodriguez had three hits for the Gators in game one, Chelsea Brent collected a pair of hits as well.

In the nightcap Aryn Guzman (0-4) took the ball for the Gators and was throwing darts early.  Through two innings Guzman struck out four batters.  For the afternoon she threw 3.0 plus innings, allowing three hits, three runs, all earned with a walk and five strike outs.  The lone blemish was a, two-strike, two-run home run surrendered in the top of the third inning giving the Wolves a lead they would never relinquish.

Jenny Obbema pitched two solid innings, she scattered three hits, and a run.  Courtney Dunkel pitched two thirds of an inning and was roughed up for five runs on three hits, the big hit a three-run home run by the catcher Ku'ulei Siolo.  Lindsey Cassidy made her Gator debut throwing 1.1 scoreless innings.

With the Gators trailing 9-1 they scored a run in the sixth to extend the game to the seventh.  Lewis started the rally with the second of her three hits in the game.  She moved to third on the base hit by Higa and came around to score on the single to center field by Andrade. 

In the bottom of the seventh inning the Gators brought the crowd to life scoring three runs on the three run blast by Lewis that scored Rodriguez and Gravel, who both singled to start the inning.  For Gravel that was her 170^th career base hit, giving her sole possession of 10^th place all-time in career-hits at SF State.

Earning the win for Western Oregon in the nightcap was starter Sammi Cadwallader (1-4).  Cadwallader went 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits, two runs, both earned with a walk and a strike out.

The Gators return to action on Friday when they play a triple-header in the first day of the Tournament of Champions hosted by Cal State Stanislaus.  The Gators will begin the tournament taking on Azusa Pacific at 1:30 p.m. 

Game 1 Box Score (HTML)

Game 2 Box Score (HTML)

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Gator Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The department offers 12 intercollegiate sports programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball and Men's Wrestling.

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