TURLOCK, Calif. — The San Francisco State softball team split its first two game on day one of the 21st Annual Tournament of Champions presented by the City of Turlock. The Gators went up early but lost 3-1 to Dominican, then shut out Saint Martin's 3-0.
- SF State saw its four-game win streak snapped with the loss to Dominican and move to 12-14 on the season.
- Dominican improved to 17-14 with the win. The Penguins are picked to finish fourth in the PacWest and are on pace for the most wins in the program's Division II era. Should they finish above .500, the Penguins would post their first winning season since 2014.
- Saint Martin's fell to to 16-9. The Saints were picked third in the GNAC.
- Kira Nilson continued her hot hitting, going 3-of-4 in game two. She also had an RBI and in game one drew a walk. Nilson now leads the team with a .325 batting average.
- Kai DeLeon went hitless in game one and saw her hitting streak snapped at nine games. DeLeon went 2-for-3 with a walk in game two and has now reached safely in 23 of the Gators' 25 games this season.
- Lexi Holihan went 2-for-3 in game one.
Game One
- SF State took the lead in the first on Daniella Guerrera's bunt single down the third base line that scored Marley Gonzales from third. Gonzales was hit by a pitch, stole second, and advanced to third on a passed ball.
- Olivia Lee started the fourth inning with a triple down the left field line and Taylor Rodriguez followed with an RBI single to tie the game.
- A pair of Gators errors by the corner outfielders proved costly in the sixth inning and allowed baserunners to reach extra bases, resulting in a two-run inning for the Penguins.
- The Gators didn't really threaten again until the seventh. Nilson and Holihan were on second and third with one out but Keltner got the next two outs.
- Mari Takeda Bajan (5-3) threw her fourth complete game. She surrendered a pair of earned runs over nine hits. She walked two and struck out one.
- Reigning PacWest Player of the Week Shelby Keltner (9-7) continued her torrid play with her ninth complete game of the season. She scattered three hits without an earned run and struck out nine with one walk. She also drove in a run at the plate.
Game Two
- Phoebe Schultz got things going with a walk in the top of the second, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Olivia Clavero came in to run for Schultz and she scored on Nilson's single up the middle.
- Makenzie Stenson, who had walked, moved up on Nilson's single. Emily Madrigal pinch ran and also moved up on a wild pitch, then scored on Rylee McDaniel's sac bunt.
- The Gators added a run in the fourth when Mia Misasi reached by an error that would have ended the inning. That allowed Holihan, who had singled and moved up on a McDaniel walk, to score from second, though the Gators left the bases loaded. SF State continued to threaten but stranded a pair in the fifth and again in the sixth.
- Gators starter Elise Roy (6-5) picked up her sixth win and five complete game, and second shutout, all of which lead the Gators pitching staff. She faced just five ove the minimum, scattered four hits, struck out four, and walked one.
- Tia Ridings (2-5) took the loss for the Saints. She was pulled after giving up two runs in the second inning.
- Amanda Peterson went the final five innings for Saint Martin's and allowed an unearned run on six hits with four strikeouts.
The 21st Annual Tournament of Champions presented by the City of Turlock continues on Saturday, March 23. The Gators will take on Azusa Pacific at 11:30 a.m. and Western Oregon at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available at
sfstategators.com/livestats_sb. Tickets are available at
warriorathletics.com/tickets.
