SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State softball team sure seemed at home this weekend at SFSU Softball Field. After inclement weather erased the Gators' first two homestands, the Gators secured a series sweep of Cal Poly Humboldt. After winning both games on Friday, the Gators took game three 6-4 and won the finale 5-0.
- SF State moves to 11-13 overall and is 8-8 in CCAA play thus far and move all the way into fifth place with the series sweep. The Lumberjacks slip to 12-12 overall and into seventh place at 5-7 in CCAA action.
- The sweep was the Gators first four-game sweep dating back to April 2022 when the Gators also swept the Lumberjacks at home.
- Marley Gonzales kept up her hot weekend. The Gators backstop went 4-for-4 with three runs in game one and added two more hits and another run in game two. She hit .600 for the weekend with five runs and three stolen bases.
- Kai DeLeon had a three-hit day to bring her hit streak to nine games, and now has a team-high 25 hits. Regular readers know what's coming next: DeLeon has reached safely in 23 of the Gators' 24 games this season. She also scored a run in game two and has scored a run in 18 games this season.
- Six regular Gators batters are now batting over .300. Phoebe Schultz had a three-hit day and leads the team with a .333 clip. Kira Nilson also had a three-hit day and raised her average to .310.
- Pitchers Mari Takeda Bajan and Elise Roy both picked up their second wins of the series. Takeda Bajan leads the pitching staff with a 2.55 ERA while Roy posted a .5 ERA in two games, lowering her ERA to 2.92.
- SF State feasted on seven Lumberjacks errors for five unearned runs.
- Game one of Saturday's doubleheader was the longest of the series at 2:26. The finale lasted exactly two hours.
Game One
- SF State got things going with a two-out rally. Schultz sent the first pitch she saw to center field, which scored Gonzales from third. Lumberjacks second baseman Vanessa Saltos bobbled a ball from Makenzie Stenson that would have ended the inning, then first baseman Katlyn Gifford let the ball skip away, which allowed Schultz to score all the way from first.
- The Lumberjacks got a run back in the third on a DeLeon error, then took the lead on a Gifford double to left center that scored a pair.
- In the fifth, Gonzales led off with a single and later got to third on an error. During the next at bat, Gonzales broke from third and catcher Izzy Starr attempted to pick her off. Instead Starr drilled Gonzales in the back and the ball skipped away, which allowed Gonzales to score the tying run. Guerrera, who had reached on an error and moved to third on the Gonzales play, scored the go-ahead run on Nilson's single through the left side.
- Saltos led off the top of the sixth with a solo shot to tie the game at 4-4.
- The Gators answered with a two-run sixth. An error opened the door again. With Mia Misasi at first, Gonzales singled, then Guerrera cleared the bases with a single to right center.
- Takeda Bajan (5-2) tossed her third complete game. She struck out four, walked a pair, and scattered two earned runs on seven hits.
- Gaige Garcia (4-7) allowed 12 hits over six innings of work for Cal Poly Humboldt. She struck out three and walked one. Just three of the six runs charged to her were earned.
Game Two
- In the fourth, with one out, Stenson singled. Emily Madrigal came in as a pinch runner and stole second, the scored on Nilson's double down the left field line.
- Holihan followed with a full-count walk, then Marissa Jordan reached on an error by another Saltos error. Nilson scored easily and Jordan rounded first and got caught in a rundown. She was tagged out but that allowed Holihan to sneak home from third during the rundown to make it 3-0.
- The Gators added some insurance in the fifth. DeLeon scored on a Schultz sac fly but the Lumberjacks failed to hit the cutoff, which allowed Gonzales to take third. She then scored easily to make it 5-0 when Stenson singled through the right side. The Gators had a chance to end the game early but left the bases loaded.
- Cal Poly Humbodlt threatened in the seventh but the Gators defense protected the plate, literally. With runners on first and second and no outs, Alyssa Ramirez singled to right field but the Lumberacks sent Saltos home all the way from second and Guerrera's throw was on the money to Gonzales, who applied the tag. Roy then got the next two batters to ground out.
- Gators starter Elise Roy (5-5) tossed 106 pitches for her fourth complete game of the season. She struck out three, walked a pair, and scattered six hits.
- Cal Poly Humboldt starter Vanessa Richie (2-3) gave up five runs, three earned, on eight hits over four and two third innings.
- Ava Hand did not give up a hit in an inning and a third of relief work.
The Gators will next head to Turlock for the Tournament of Champions hosted by Stanislaus State, March 22-24.
