ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — The San Francisco State softball team opened the CCAA schedule with a pair of wins at Sonoma State on Friday afternoon. The Gators took game one 6-1 and held the Seawolves off, 5-3, in the nightcap.
- SF State moves to 7-4 on the young season and begins CCAA play at 2-0. The Seawolves drop to 5-4 and 0-2 in CCAA action.
- SF State entered play leading all of NCAA Division II in total stolen bases and double plays turned. The Gators added seven more stolen bases, running the season total to 56. The Gators also got an amazing 6-3 double play in game one from Kai DeLeon, who was named last week's CCAA Player of the Week.
- The Gators got a pair of complete games from Kaitlyn Maddux and Lexi Holihan.
- Brylynn Vallejos went 7-for-8 with five runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.
- Lehua DeLeon, who entered play leading all of NCAA Division II with 14 steals, added three more on the day to bring her total to 17.
- Dani Guerrera made her long journey back from injury on Friday. She entered as a pinch hitter in game one and logged her first start of the season in right field during game two.
GAME ONE
- Vallejos got things going with a single and advanced to second on an error. Two batters later, Lehua DeLeon worked a full-count walk. The two executed a double steal to put the Gators up 1-0.
- The Seawolves answered in similar fashion in the bottom of the first. A pair of singles but runners on the corners and Rylee Nishimoto and Cassidy Romano executed a double steal of their own to the the game at 1-1.
- The Gators regained the lead for good in the second inning on Teya Vincent's sacrifice bunt, which scored Kira Nilson, who doubled to lead off the inning.
- SF State added plenty of insurance during a four-run seventh. Marley Gonzales and Vallejos singled, and everyone was safe on a Kai DeLeon fielder's choice. A bases-loaded error allowed Gonzales to score, then Halle Nugent drew a four-pitch walk to make it 4-1. After a double play, the Gators executed another double steal to move the remaining runners into scoring position, and Nilson and Holihan recorded back-to-back RBI singles to make it 6-1.
- Maddux (3-4) saved her best start of the season thus far for the CCAA opener. She faced five over the minimum and scattered four hits and allowed just one run. She had one strikeout and walked a pair.
- Nichole Sarra (1-3) also went the distance. She was charged with six runs, just two earned. She gave up eight hits and issued four walks to go with a pair of strikeouts.
GAME TWO
- In a similar start to game one, Vallejos led off with a single and Lehua DeLeon walked. The duo stole second and third and Vallejos scored thanks to an error on the play.
- The Seawolves tied the game in the second on a wild pitch.
- The Gators reclaimed the lead in the third when Nugent sent a two-out RBI double to left field. Nishimoto nearly tracked it down but couldn't get it in her glove, and just missed catching the ball as it glanced off her glove and deflected off the wall.
- SSU tied the game in the bottom half of the third on Romano's RBI triple.
- Vincent pitch hit for Gonzales in the fifth and was hit by a pitch. Gonzales reentered and scored on a Vallejos triple down the right field line. Lehua DeLeon followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2.
- A passed ball in the bottom of the sixth got a run back for the Seawolves but the Gators added an insurance right back in the top of the seventh. Vallejos doubled and later scored, though Kai DeLeon was thrown out at home to end the inning.
- Lexi Holihan (2-0) picked up her second win and second complete game. She allowed three runs, two earned, on nine hits. She walked one and struck out one. She got into a jam in the fourth but got two outs, leaving runners at second and third. The Seawolves threatend with a two-out rally in the fifth but Holihan induced a fly ball. She wrapped her day up with a perfect nine-pitch seventh, capped off by a catch on the run from Vallejos.
- Camille Rodrigues (3-1) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits. She struck out two over four innings of work in the loss. Jesse DuPuis came on for two innings of relief and allowed a pair of insurance runs.
The Gators and Seawolves continue the four-game series with a noon doubleheader on Saturday. The Games will be broadcast on the CCAA Network with live stats available at sfstategators.com.
