CHICO, Calif. — The San Francisco State softball team dropped it conference-opening series at No. 7 Chico State on Sunday, 7-0 and 2-0.
Both games saw strong starting pitching performances with neither game seeing a run scored until the later innings.
- The Gators (3-4/0-4 CCAA) tallied five hits on the day, three coming from Brylynn Vallejos. The freshman leads the Gators with a .560 batting average and 14 hits in seven games.
- Reilani Peleti led the Wildcats (6-1/4-0 CCAA) with a 3-for-5 day, including a a home run. She shared the team with a .467 batting average.
- Saturday marked the first two shutouts against the Gators, who entered the day averaging 6.4 runs per game.
GAME ONE
- Chico State used a two-our rally in the fourth to take the lead. Reilani Peleti doubled home a run and an RBI single by Brooke Larsen made it 2-0.
- The Wildcats broke the game open in the fifth. A throwing error on a stolen base led to an unearned run. An intentional walk with one out and a runner on third didn't work in the Gators' favor as Bailey Akins hit a three-run homer to make it 6-0.
- The Gators threw Kristin Worley out at home but the ball got away, which allowed Wendy Cardinali to score.
- Natalie Minteer (1-2) tossed four and a third innings. She surrendered six runs, five earned, and struck out one.
- Karla Soto allowed one unearned run and struck out a pair in one and two thirds innings of work.
- For the Wildcats, NFCA All-American transfer Brooke Larsen (3-1) allowed just one hit, a Vallejos hit in the third, in a complete-game victory.
GAME TWO
- Back-to-back homers in the sixth inning by Claire Wayne and Peleti were the difference.
- Emily Mitchell (1-2) tossed her second complete game but was charged the loss. Her only blemishes came in the sixth on the back-to-back home runs, which came with two outs.
The Gators return to SFSU Softball Field for their home opener on Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16. Be sure to follow San Francisco State softball on Twitter and Instagram at @sfstate_sb.
