TURLOCK, Calif. — The San Francisco State softball team won its first two games in the Tournament of Champions presented by the City of Turlock. The Gators won both games on Friday, 4-3 over Azusa Pacific and 5-2 over Chaminade.
- SF State has won four of its last five and improves to 13-14 on the season. Azusa Pacific falls to 18-15 while Chaminade drops to 18-16.
- Kai DeLeon went 4-for-6 with two runs and an RBI. DeLeon also swiped a career-high three stolen bases in game two. She was also hit by a pitch. She leads the team with a .385 batting average and is tied for the team lead with nine stolen bases.
- Dani Guerrera went 3-for-6 with a home run, three RBIs, and a pair of runs.
- Mia Misasi 2-for-5 with a pair of runs and an RBI.
- Teya Vincent went 1-for-2 with a run and a walk in game two.
- SF State improves to 7-5 in one-run games.
- The Gators also improve to 6-3 in games versus PacWest opponents this season.
- SF State pitchers have now thrown 15 complete games in 27 total games.
Game 1
- The Gators took a 1-0 lead in the first on Guerrera's RBI single that plated DeLeon, who doubled to start the game.
- APU grabbed the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Back-to-back walks to start the frame and a pair of passed balls spelled trouble and led to a 3-1 Cougars lead.
- The Gators took the lead back for good in the third. Misasi and DeLeon led off with back-to-back singles. Both moved into scoring position on a Marley Gonzales sac bunt and Misasi scored on a Kira Nilson groundout. Then, Guerrera unloaded on a full-count pitch for a two-run homer to left and the 4-3 Gators lead.
- Kaitlyn Maddux (6-5) went the distance for her seventh complete game of the year. She threw 113 pitches and struck out seven. Maddux gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits with four walks.
- Sydnie Sahhar (4-5) lasted just three innings for the Cougars and took the loss. She faced 14 batters and gave up four runs on five hits.
- Liz Phillips pitched four perfect innings of relief for APU and struck out five.
Game 2
- Through the first three innings, the Gators left a runner in scoring position in every inning, including at third in each of the first two innings. In the second, Hayakawa doubled home a run that gave the Silverswords an early 1-0 lead. In the third, CUH doubled its lead. Taryn Fujioka drew a four-pitch, two-out walk and scored on Keaolani Takemura's triple.
- The Gators took the lead for good in the fourth. Guerrera singled to center and Vincent doubled down the left field line, then Guerrera scored on a passed ball. Marissa Jordan kept things moving with an RBI single to left that tied the game at 2-2 and Misasi gave the Gators the lead with a two-out single to left that plated pinch runner Maddie Scott, who had stolen third. That turned over the lineup and DeLeon hit another single to left that scored Misasi.
- Hailey Weddington, who came in as a defensive replacement, led off the sixth with her first collegiate hit, and scored on Liana Gonzalez's double to center field to make it 5-2.
- Brooklyn Heffernan (5-7) tossed her team-leading eighth complete game. She scattered six hits on 110 pitches. She walked four and struck out half a dozen.
- Taylor Genera (6-3) took the loss for Chaminade. She went three and two thirds innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits.
- Jaeda Cabunoc gave up one run in the final two and a third innings for the Silverswords.
The Tournament of Champions presented by the City of Turlock continues on Saturday, April 1. The Gators take on a pair of GNAC foes when they face Western Washington (16-14) at 11:30 a.m. and Central Washington (15-14) at 7 p.m. Saturday will mark the second matchup between SF State and Central Washington this season with the Gators taking the first meeting 3-1 back on February 3. Live stats for both games will be available at
sfstategators.com.
