CHICO, Calif. — The San Francisco State softball team settled for a series split at Chico State on Saturday. The Gators took game one 2-1 but couldn't get anything going in a 1-0 loss in game two.
 

By the Numbers

• SF State move to 26-20 on the season and 14-16 in conference action. The Wildcats move to 20-23 overall and 13-17 in CCAA play. Despite the loss, the Gators stayed two games in front of Cal Poly Humboldt, who was swept on Saturday by Cal State San Bernardino.
• The Gators' 26 wins stand alone as the eighth most in program history.
• SF State moves to 14-7 in one-run games this season.
• Daniella Guerrera extended her hitting streak to 12 games and reached safely in 13 games before having both streaks snapped in game two.
• Kai DeLeon was the only Gator to have a hit in both games and has reached base safely in her last seven games.
• Marley Gonzales went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in game two.
• Brooklyn Heffernan recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts and has 98 total on the season.

How They Scored

• The Gators got all the offense they needed in the fourth inning. After the lineup went down in order through the first three innings, DeLeon led off the fourth with a triple and scored on Marley Gonzales' sacrifice fly. Then, Guerrera followed with her second home run of the series, a ball that she absolutely crushed past the grass in left field and into Nettleton Stadium behind.

Daniella Guerrera with homers on back-to-back days! pic.twitter.com/uCX0ATkf2a

— SF State Softball (@SFState_SB) April 22, 2023

• The Wildcats were gifted a run in the sixth when the ball popped out of Heffernan's hand on a windup for a wild pitch that allowed the runner from third to score. 

In The Circle

• Heffernan (11-10) held the Wildcats to just one earned run on three hits. She walked two and struck out 10. 
• Katelyn Oldwin (6-9) took the loss for Chico State. She allowed a pair of runs on four hits in five and a third innings of work. She walked three and struck out seven.
• Amelie Valdez faced five batters in relief and struck out four of them.

How They Scored

• An unearned run in the second inning was the difference in game two. Kira Nilson tracked down catcher Brianna Swihart's fly ball neat the left field wall but had it pop out of her glove, which loaded the bases. Shortstop Rachel Bles followed with a sacrifice fly that put the Wildcats in front.
• SF State stranded a pair in the third but didn't have a baserunner after that.

In The Circle

• Kaitlyn Maddux (13-8) was the victim of another hard-luck loss. She allowed just one hit and no earned runs. She walked one and struck out five.
• Mari Takeda Bajan (6-5) allowed just one hit and retired the final 14 Gators in order. She also walked one and struck out five. 

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