SAN MARCOS, Calif.— The San Francisco State softball team dropped the final two games of a four-game series, 3-0 and 11-1 in six innings, on Saturday and was swept by No. 14 Cal State San Marcos.
- SF State slips to 14-18 overall and remain in seventh place at 7-13 in CCAA play. The first-place Cougars improve to 31-3 and 22-2 in CCAA play.
- The Gators swiped five more bases, bringing the season total for the Gators to 92 for the season. Brylynn Vallejos now has 86 career stolen bases and sits just a pair behind program leader Michelle Castro. Vallejos is now second in the CCAA with 26 steals this season.
- Pitcher Taylor Kelly lowered her ERA from 1.98 to 1.84 but took the loss as a result of five unearned runs.
- SF State stranded a runner in every inning but the fourth in game one and left eight on base in the game.
GAME ONE
- Leadoff walks continued to haunt the Gators as Madison Waymire drew a five-pitch walk to start the fourth. What should have been an RBI groundout was misplayed and instead resulted in a pair of Cougars runs crossing the plate.
- Kayla Mack added an insurance run in the sixth for CSUSM.
- The Gators looked to force extras in back-to-back games but left the go-ahead run at the plate. The Cougars recorded two quick outs, then pinch hitter Teya Vincent drew a four-pitch walk. Kai DeLeon singled and both she and Vincent moved up on a throwing error. Vallejos loaded the bases on another four-pitch walk but Cougars ace Savannah Coyle went ahead 0-2 to Lehua DeLeon and got the elder DeLeon to pop up to end it.
- Kaitlyn Maddux (6-11) was charged with all three Gators runs but only two were earned. She allowed six hits in five innings and struck out a pair.
- Taylor worked an inning of relief.
- Coyle (13-1) went the distance and struck out and walked two in a complete-game shutout.
GAME TWO
- SF State took a 1-0 lead in the first. Vallejos singled, stole second and third, and scored on a failed pickoff throw that went into left field. However, the Gators left Dani Guerrera at third.
- The Cougars answered in the bottom half of the frame. Back-to-back singles set up a sac fly for Morgan Salgado, whose fly ball to left was enough to score Bianca Gutierrez.
- An infield error led off the Cougars' half of the fourth inning and led to four unearned runs. A fielder's choice resulted in no out on the subsequent play, then a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, and another sac fly doubled the lead. Back-to-back RBI singles grew CSUSM's lead to 5-1 and chased Kelly from the game.
- An RBI single and a bases-loaded walk extended the deficit to 7-1 in the fourth.
- Ryann Steiner walked it off in the sixth for the Cougars with a two-out grand slam.
- Taylor Kelly (2-3) only went two and two thirds innings but did not allow an earned run, though she was charged with five.
- Madeline Eshbach gave up six runs on eight hits in three innings of relief.
- Jayline Sloss (11-1) cruised to the six-inning win for the Cougars. She allowed four hits and struck out five.
The Gators next head to the Tournament of Champions, presented by Mizuno and hosted by Stanislaus State, Friday to Sunday, April 1-3. The Gators take on Central Washington and Hawaii Pacific on Friday, Holy Names and Simon Fraser on Saturday, and wrap up the weekend on Sunday versus Hawai'i Hilo.
