SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Friday's softball doubleheader between San Francisco State and host Cal State San Bernardino was a veritable home run derby. The two teams combined for nine home runs as the ball flew out of CSUSB Softball Park. CSUSB took game one 12-1 in six innings and the Gators rallied for a 12-8 victory in game two.
- With the split, the Gators (22-29) and Coyotes (20-26) both stand at 13-21 in CCAA play. Cal State East Bay (23-24/14-19 CCAA), which split its Friday doubleheader versus Stanislaus State, is one game in front of the two teams. The Pioneers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Gators so SF State will need a Saturday sweep and will also need help from Stan State.
- The Coyotes hit four homers, three of which came off the bat of Shannon Galliano in game one. Five different Gators launched a long ball: Lehua DeLeon, Sydney Jenkins, Kira Nilson, Halle Nugent, and Brylynn Vallejos.
- Vallejos hit her team-leading ninth homer and is second in the CCAA. Her 16 career home runs move her into sole possession of sixth all-time as a Gator. Vallejos also had three hits on the day, which moves her into fourth place all-time in hits with 202. She is just the fourth Gator to reach 200 or more hits.
- The Gators turned two more double plays on Friday, bringing the team's season total to 32, which leads all of NCAA Division II.
- Teya Vincent was hit by a pitch for the 11th time this season, the most of any Gators and second-most in the CCAA.
GAME ONE
- Galliano provided most of the fireworks in game one. She had two-run homers in the second and the fifth, and walked it off with a grand slam in the sixth.
- The Gators trailed 5-0 in the sixth when Kira Nilson belted her first collegiate homer.
- Taylor Kelly (6-7) gave up five runs on 10 hits and was chased in the fifth.
- Kaitlyn Maddux came on in relief but struggled. In just two thirds, she surrendered seven runs, four earned, on seven hits.
- Brooklyn Blackmon (11-5) scattered seven hits over six innings with a pair of strikeouts for the CSUSB win.
GAME TWO
- Lehua DeLeon worked a full count and hit her third homer to get the Gators going in game two.
- CSUSB answered in the bottom of the first when an errant throw allowed Alexis Aguado to score from third.
- The Gators went back ahead in the bottom of the second on Halle Nugent peppered a two-run single to left center.
- Lehua DeLeon and Jenkins followed with bases-loaded singles that grew the lead to 5-1.
- Alyssa Martinez got a pair of runs back for the Coyotes with a two-run homer in the third.
- In the fourth, Jenkins squeezed home a run to make it 6-3, and a bases-loaded single from Nilson kept the line moving to make it 7-3.
- Vallejos launched a two-run homer in the fifth to make it 8-3.
- The insurance runs proved necessary as the Coyotes threatened in the sixth. Pinch hitter Kelia Paragas singled to make it 8-4, then Alyssa Beck cleared the bases with a double to right center that trimmed the Gators' lead to one, 8-7.
- Nugent answered in a big way in the top of the seventh with a leadoff homer, her third long ball of the season.
- With the Gators lead back to five, the Coyotes got a two-out run in the bottom of the seventh.
- Madeline Eshbach (4-4) lasted five and two thirds innings to pick up the win in game two.
- Taylor Kelly worked the remaining inning and a third to stave off the Coyotes.
- Samantha Vargas (5-8) surrendered eight runs on 11 hits over five innings. Sofia Gombos gave up four runs in two innings of relief.
The two teams wrap up the regular season on Saturday, April 30. First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for 11 a.m. The series will be broadcast on the CCAA Network with live stats available at sfstategators.com.
