SAN FRANCISCO – The SF State softball team lost both halves of Friday's series opening double header to visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Gators lost game one 5-2 and dropped the nightcap 10-3. Despite that, SF State saw some encourages signs as center fielder
Jennifer Lewis is starting to heat up.
SF State (3-15/2-12 CCAA) pounded out 14 hits on the day, five in game one and nine in the second game. Lewis finished the afternoon going 3-for-6 with two runs scored, two RBI a double and a home run. The big fly came was a moon shot in the bottom of the fourth inning in game one that put the Gators out front.
Joining Lewis in the hit parade was senior shortstop
Courtney Gravel who collected a pair of hits in the nightcap including a double.
Marisa Andrade remains red hot she had three hits on the day including her team-leading ninth double of the year.
In game one the Gators sent out
Megan Clark. After a one out bases loaded walk in the top of the first, Clark settled into a nice afternoon. The lefty threw three innings as a starter and later pitched the final 2/3 of an inning in relief. For the day, she scattered eight hits, two runs, both earned with a walk and a strike out.
With the Gators trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Lewis stepped up to the plate following an excellent at bat by
Lucy Fernandez, who worked a two-out walk after seeing seven pitches. With the count in Lewis' favor, she connected on the 1-0 offering from starter Jamie Duran (4-3) and crushed the ball over the left field fence for a 2-run home run, her first of the year.
Duran appeared to be rattled after that shot by Lewis and barely escaped the inning without giving up any more runs after getting Guzman to lineout to centerfield with the bases full of Gators. Duran finished the day going 7.0 complete, surrendering five hits, two runs, with three walks and three strike outs.
Aryn Guzman took the ball for the Gators in the top of the fourth inning and pitched brilliantly, she retired all three Toros she faced for the much needed shut down inning. In the fifth she ran into problems, and was not able to find the strike zone, walking three batters on 12-straight pitches.
Enter, reliever
Jenny Obbema (1-3). With no margin for error Obbema struck out the first batter she faced on a nasty pitch. After that, the Gators reliever got some fantastic defensive help. With one out Obbema got the Toros' catcher Kaci McGinnis to hit a sharp line drive to Gravel at short, who dove to her left, made the catch and doubled off the runner at second to end the threat and preserve the one run lead.
Obbema went 2.1 innings, surrendering three hits, three runs, all earned, with a strike out.
The Toros scored a tying run in the sixth and three more in the seventh to take a 5-2 which is where the score remained.
In the nightcap the Toros (8-9/7-4 CCAA) scored three in the first, two in the second, two in the fourth and three in the sixth to build their 10-3 lead. The Gators countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and scored a run in the bottom of the fourth but that was all they could muster against Toros' starter Alyssa Valinches who threw 7.0 complete innings, surrendering nine hits, three runs, all earned with two walks and nine strike outs.
Courtney Dunkel (2-3) took the loss for the Gators when she was not able to get out of the first inning. She allowed two hits, three runs, two earned with a walk in the six batters she faced. Obbema finished the first inning and threw four complete innings in relief in the second game and allowed four runs, with only two of them earned.
Gravel, ,and Lewis collected a pair of hits,
Selina Rodriguez, Gravel, and Guzman drove in the Gators three runs.
The two teams will resume the series tomorrow when they play a double-header starting at 11:00 a.m. at the SF State Softball Field. Game two is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.
Complete Box Score Game 1 (HTML)Complete Box Score Game 2 (HTML)--
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.Gator Athletics places great emphasis on academic performance as well as athletic achievement. The program offers student athletes the opportunity to reach their educational goals, as well pursue meaningful athletic accomplishments. For more information, visit SF State Athletics' website, Twitter and Facebook pages.
