SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State softball team was firing on all cylinders in Tuesday's non-conference doubleheader sweep of Academy of Art. The Gators took game one 8-0 in five innings and won game two 3-2.
- Michelle Castro stole a pair of bases in game one, bringing her career total to 81. That's a new program career record, which has held since Monica Rubina stole 79 from 1994-97. Castro went 3-for-6 with a pair of runs, two RBI, and a walk.
- Brylynn Vallejos knocked in the game-winning runs in both games. She went 5-for-6 with four runs, three RBI, a walk, and a three stolen bases.
- Nina Revoir switched from No. 21 to 23 for the day in honor of Humboldt State's Evelyn Andrews, who passed away on Monday from clotting complications associated with her fight against cancer.
- The Gators (8-7) racked up 21 hits in the doubleheader, bringing their season total to 127 (8.47 hit per game).
- Natalie Minteer pitched all 12 innings for the Gators. She picked up both wins and has now earned the win in her last four appearances. She struck out nine ART U (1-8) batters.
GAME ONE
- Vallejos led the game off with a walk and stole second. Castro singled and was caught between first and second but ART U pitcher Hannah Rose Balke made an errant throw, which allowed Vallejos to score from third. Katie Rohrer worked a full count and sent the payoff pitch for a two-run shot to right field that made it 3-0 early.
- In the second inning, Lehua DeLeon singled and scored all the way from first on a Vallejos double.
- Vallejos proceeded to steal third and came home when the throw to third sailed high and into the outfield. Castro worked a six-pitch walk, then stole second, then third, and scored on Katelyn Sturm's single to left.
- Samantha Alvarez led off the third with a single to left and scored on Castro's two-out double down the third base line.
- The Gators walked it off in the fifth. DeLeon shot a one-out single through the left side, stole second, then took third. She scored on a Vallejos infield to single to second base. Second baseman Gracie Sotomayor dove but had no chance of getting the speedy DeLeon, who crossed home standing up.
- Minteer was dominant in the circle. She had a perfect game going that ended on a two-out walk in the fourth but she fielded a comebacker to get out of the inning. She gave up just one hit, in the fifth inning, on Haley Randall's bloop single to center. She struck out three.
- The Gators hit Balke (1-3) for six runs, five earned, on five hits and was chased in the second inning. Haley Arnold-Jolley went the remaining three and a third innings and was walked off in the bottom of the fifth.
GAME TWO
- Vallejos was hit by a pitch, then stole second. She advanced on a groundout, then scored on Rohrer's sacrifice bunt.
- Vallejos led off the third with a double and moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch. Castro drove her home with a single down the third base line to make it 2-0.
- ART U got a run back in the top of the fourth with back-to-back hits and a sac fly.
- The Urban Knights tied it in the fifth with a pair of two-out base hits by Alyssa Rasmussen and Gabi Hirsch.
- The Urban Knights intentionally walked the bases loaded with one out in the sixth but SF State left them loaded.
- With two on in the sixth, Vallejos delivered an opposite-field single that scored Halle Nugent.
- Minteer struck out six and allowed two runs on seven hits. She needed just 79 pitches to cruise to the complete-game win.
- Balke (1-4) also went the distance for the Urban Knights. She gave up three runs on 11 hits, and struck out a pair.
The Gators welcome Cal State San Bernardino for a pair of doubleheaders on Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22. All four games will be broadcast on the CCAA Network and live stats will be available at sfstategators.com. Be sure to follow San Francisco State Softball on Twitter and Instagram at @sfstate_sb.
