IRVINE, Calif. — The San Francisco State softball team split a pair of games on Opening Day at the Concordia Kickoff Classic at Orange County Great Park. The Gators fell 9-1 to No. 21 Colorado Mesa and picked up their first win of the season, 8-1 over Dominican.
- Brylynn Vallejos picked up where she picked off. The former All-America selection went 3-for-7 with two runs, an RBI, a double and a triple, a walk, and a stolen base.
- As a team, the Gators hit just .236 between the two games but scored nine runs on 13 hits.
- The Gators continue to be a nuisance on the basepaths and went 6-for-8 on the day.
GAME ONE
- The Gators' lone run came in the fifth when Jazzy Contreras scored on Lehua DeLeon's fielder's choice. That trimmed the lead to 4-1.
- Colorado Mesa took the lead in the first on a two-out single and added three in the fourth.
- The Mavericks added three more in the sixth and a pair in the top of the seventh.
- Kaitlyn Maddux surrendered seven runs, four earned, in five and a third innings of work.
- Madeline Eshbach gave up a pair of runs in an inning and two thirds of relief.
- Paige Adair (1-0) earned the victory for the Mavericks. She struck out eight and allowed just two hits over four innings of work. Shea Mauser allowed a hit and earned the three-inning save.
GAME TWO
- After managing just one hit through three innings, the Gators offense came alive against Dominican. Pitcher Lexi Holihan helped her cause with a leadoff walk in the fourth. She later scored on Kira Nilson's infield single. The Gators left the bases loaded but were able to score later on.
- Vallejos led off the fifth with a single and scored all the way from first on Lehua DeLeon's single up the middle. DeLeon then stole second and third and scored on Halle Nugent's single to right field.
- Vallejos tripled home Marley Gonzales in the sixth and scored the throw back into the infield.
- In a similar play in the seventh, Nilson tripled to left center and scored on an errant cutoff throw that skipped away.
- Gonzales joined the fun with an inside-the-park home run that also plated Sydney Jenkins.
- Dominican got a run back in the eighth thanks to a leadoff walk.
- Holihan impressed in her Gators debut. The freshman went the distance en route to the victory. She scattered five hits and struck out three with three walks.
- Shelby Keltner (0-2) took the loss for Dominican. She gave up three runs in four and a third innings. Rosa Leguira threw two thirds of scoreless softball and the Gators roughed up Kathryn Carvalho for five runs in two innings.
SF State takes on No. 3 Biola (2-1) at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, February 5, followed by a game vs. Azusa Pacific (2-1). Both games will be broadcast on the CCAA Network with live stats available at sfstategators.com.
