SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco State softball team recorded a hard earned series split against Cal State San Marcos on Saturday afternoon. The Gators and Cougars split the double header with CSUSM taking game one 3-2 before the Gators won the series finale 4-3 in eight innings.
SF State (6-14/5-11 CCAA) got contributions throughout the entire lineup, with the Gators recording 11 hits on the afternoon.
Celeste Adriano remains red-hot going 4-for-7 on the day, while
Mallory Cleveland had a huge afternoon, going 3-for-5 with a two-run home run.
In the opener, Cal State San Marcos (7-12/6-8 CCAA) got on the board first in the top of the third, a walk a wild pitch and back-to-back sacrifice bunts scored the Cougars leadoff batter. But that is all they would get as Cassidy would get the final out on a lazy pop up in front of the Gators dugout.
Offensively, the Gators were held in check through the first six innings. SF State threatened in the third when
Aryn Guzman led off with a double to left field. The Gators eventually loaded the bases in the inning, but a double play and a foul out to left field ended the threat without the SF State putting a run on the board.
Cal State San Marcos added two insurance runs in the top of the sixth that they would need. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Gators trailing 3-0, Cleveland got the Gators on the board in a big way. With a 2-2 count, the Gator's pinch hitter launched a two-run blast off the scoreboard in left field to cut the Gators deficit to one.
CSUSM starter, Amanda Horbasch (4-2) regained her composure getting the final three outs to preserve the 3-2 win. Horbasch went 7.0 complete, surrendering five hits, two earned runs with two walks and four strike outs.
Cassidy pitched well enough or the win, going seven strong, scattering seven hits, while allowing three earned runs with a walk and six strike outs.
In game two, it was SF State who scored first. In the bottom of the first inning three-straight singles by
Alexis Mattos,
Megan Clark and
Sara Higa brought in the first run. Higa's sharp single through the left side scored Mattos from third.
In the second the Gators' offense went back to work, and took advantage of defensive miscues by the Cougars to score a second run. Cleveland led off the inning scorching a ball down the third base line that the defense couldn't handle. She eventually scored when a CSUSM's first baseman dropped a ball that allowed
Madison Collins to reach. A failed double-steal attempt by Collins allowed
Kasie Trezona to score to bring in the Gators second run.
Guzman held the Cougars in check for five shutout innings, she walked one and recorded two strike outs. She turned the ball over to
Megan Clark (4-6) in the top of the sixth inning. Clark retired CSUSM in order in the sixth but ran into trouble in the seventh.
After getting two outs thanks in part to a double play on a double steal attempt, Cal State San Marcos rallied for three runs to tie the game in the seventh inning, the big hit a two run double by the Cougar's shortstop Gabriella Arizaga.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Gators offense got back to work.
Mallory Cleveland singled through the right side to get the rally started. It was her second hit of the game and third of the day.
Cleveland moved up to second on a fielder's choice by Gator's pinch hitter
Angelica Terrel. With two outs, Collins singled up the middle that allowed Cleveland to score from second.
Clark got the win, going 3.0 complete, she allowed four hits, three runs all earned with two walks and a strike out.
The Gators return to action on Tuesday when they host No. 9 Chico State for a four-game series at the SF State Softball Field. Game one is scheduled for a noon start.
