SAN FRANCISCO – Needing a clutch hit in a few key situations and the fortunes for the SF State softball team would have been different. The Gators (23-20/17-13 CCAA) out-hit the visiting Tritons on Sunday, 13-11, but UC San Diego got the hits they needed taking both halves of Sunday's twin billing, winning game one 6-0 and the nightcap 5-2 in five innings.
"I'd first like to say thank you to everyone who made the two games possible today," said head coach
Lisa Allen. "Thank to UCSD for staying and our team father's for helping with field work. We wouldn't have gotten the games in without them. As for the games, we didn't come up the clutch hit and UCSD did. We had a few chances to push some runs across but came up short. UCSD also had some good defensive plays. Defensively, we had a few miscues that allowed runners on that eventually scored."
In the opener starter
Jenny Obbema (5-6) looked poised to shut down the Tritons (28-16/18-12 CCAA) throwing three quick scoreless innings. In the top of the fourth inning things unraveled quickly for Obbema.
A pair of walks and a single through the right side loaded the bases for UCSD with one out. From there Obbema was unable to limit the damage, as she surrendered an RBI single to left field for the game's first run. A hit batter and a walk added two more runs for UC San Diego and ended the day for Obbema.
Megan Clark finished the inning for the Gators' starter in relief.
Obbema's final line: 3.1 innings pitched, two hits, three runs, all earned with four walks. Clark pitched the final 3.2 innings, she was roughed up for four hits, and three runs all earned, with two walks and three strike outs. The Tritons scored their final three runs in the top of the sixth.
Game one starter for UCSD was Lexi Edwards (13-6) who pitched seven complete, she scattered eight hits, with no runs, while surrendering three walks and struck out five.
Hitting in the top spot of the Gators batting order was
Jennifer Lewis who started the day red-hot for the Gators. She went 3-for-4 in game one with a double and who hard hit singles through the middle of the infield.
Gabby Reta also collected a pair of hits for the Gators.
In the night cap the Tritons once again jumped out front early. UCSD scored all five of their runs in the first four innings, scoring a run in the first, second and third and two in the fourth.
Clark started the game for the Gators in the nightcap and she went the distance in an abbreviated game due to UCSD's travel schedule. In five innings of work she scattered six hits, five runs, three earned with four walks and a strike out.
Against game two starter Hanna Duarte (4-4) the Gators top of the order went cold. SF State's 1-4 hitters went a combined 0-for-7 in the ball game. Duarte went 4.2 innings scattering four hits, two runs, both earned, with three walks and two strike outs.
She was unable to get the final out of the ball game as the Gators mounted a rally in the bottom of the fifth inning. Going into their final at-bat of the game
Mallory Cleveland started the rally drawing a free pass. Both Cleveland and
Kasie Trezona scored on the two-run single by
Angelica Terrel.
With runners on second and third and two outs, Edwards came into the game for the Tritons and got a ground ball out for her fifth save of the season and ended the Gators scoring threat.
Marisa Andrade joined Terrel going 2-for-3 on the day, Reta went 1-for-3 in the night cap as well.
SF State will return to action next Friday, April 15 when they host No. 3 Humboldt State for a four game CCAA series starting at 1:00 p.m. at the SF State Softball Field.
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About San Francisco State Athletics
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.
