SAN FRANCISCO – The SF State softball team could not overcome two big innings late, as the visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros took both games of Saturday's double header to sweep the series. The Toros took game one 9-5 before taking the nightcap 5-0.
SF State (3-17/2-14 CCAA) pounded out 14 hits but managed just five runs in both games, while Cal State Dominguez Hills (10-9/9-4 CCAA) collected 23 hits and scored 14 runs.
Senior shortstop
Courtney Gravel continues her march towards the record book, she finished the afternoon going 5-for-7, giving her 19 hits on the year and 167 for her career, just two shy of cracking the top-10 list for career base hits. She also scored a run in the fourth inning rally during game one. This weekend, Gravel collected seven hits and saw her batting average rise 67 points, up to .328.
In game one, the Gators sent out junior
Jenny Obbema who threw the first two innings. The Gators once again used all four of their pitches. Obbema went 2.0 complete innings, surrendering three hits, two runs, both earned with a walk.
After a quick top of the first, the Torors' first baseman Alexandra Mootry led off the inning with a home run over the left field fence. CSUDH added another run later that inning when the Rachel Gulbrandsen doubled to left center scoring the Torors' runner from second.
Aryn Guzman took the ball from Obbema in the third and lasted an inning. She gave up four hits, two runs, one earned with a walk. The Gators responded in a big way in the bottom of the fourth inning.
After a single by Guzman, a fielder's choice to
Marisa Andrade and a walk to
Celeste Adriano,
Selina Rodriguez came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Rodriguez wasted no time finding the pitch she liked, jumping all over a get it in fast ball for a double to right center that cleared the bases.
The Gators were not done that inning, Rodriguez moved to third on the base hit up the middle by Gravel. A perfectly executed suicide squeeze by
Jennifer Lewis scored Rodriguez to tie the game up at four. SF State ended the inning with the bases loaded when Guzman hit a blast to right field that was tracked down at the warning track.
Courtney Dunkel (2-4) entered the game in the top of the fourth inning and pitched a perfect fourth, in the fifth however she ran into trouble. After getting an out, a walk, a base hit and a hit batter loaded the bases and ended Dunkel's day. With the bases loaded
Megan Clark was charged with the task of getting the Gators back into the dugout with the score tied. Unfortunately, the Toros capitalized, scoring a run on a sac fly and two more on an SF State error.
The Gators added a run in the five when Gravel led off the inning with a single to left center, she eventually scored on the fielder's choice off the bat of
Tori Bellin who was credited with the RBI.
Earning the win for the Toros in game one was Jamie Duran (5-3). Duran went the distance, throwing 7.0 complete, scattering eight hits, five runs, all earned with three walks and four strike outs.
In the nightcap
Megan Clark (0-7) took the ball to start for the Gators. She threw two solid innings, scattering five hits, two earned runs with a walk. The Toros scored a run in the first and a run in the second to end Clark's day.
Dunkel pitched the third through fifth inning and surrendered three runs in the fifth to give the Toros a 5-0 cushion. Earning the win for CSUDH in the second game was starter Alyssa Valinches (5-4). She went the distance throwing 7.0 innings, allowing six hits, no runs, three walks and a strike out.
The Gators return to action next Friday when they host Holy Names for a double header starting at 1:00 p.m. at the SF State softball field.
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.
