HAYWARD, Calif. — The San Francisco State softball team got contributions from up and down the lineup in an important CCAA doubleheader sweep over Cal State East Bay on Friday afternoon at Pioneer Softball Field. The Gators earned a 2-0 shutout in the opener and cruised to a 7-1 victory in the series finale.
- SF State moves to 18-21 and to 14-14 in CCAA play. The Gators now own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pioneers, who fall to 21-16 overall and 13-13 in CCAA play.
- Gators pitchers Mari Takeda Bajan, Elise Roy, and Kaitlyn Maddux combined over two games to allow just one earned run.
- Takeda Bajan got back in the win column in a big way. The Gators' game one starter hurled a four-hit shutout to lower her ERA to 2.41, which is seventh best in the CCAA.
- Elise Roy allowed a leadoff home run but allowed just two more hits in four innings of work. She lowered her ERA to 2.32, which is fifth best among CCAA pitchers.
- Rylee McDaniel had a 3-for-3 game with two runs and an RBI in game two. Kira Nilson had two hits in game one. Kai DeLeon and Daniella Guerrera both had two-hit games in game two.
- DeLeon's stolen base in the top of the fourth inning gives her 45 and counting for her career, passing her sister LeHua DeLeon for sole possession of seventh place on the program's all-time steals list.
- The Gators have three players in the Top 10 in the CCAA in stolen bases. As a team, they have 61 stolen bases, just three behind first-place Sonoma State.
- SF State turned its 21st double play of the season in the bottom of the fifth in game two when Misasi started the 6-4-3 double play.
Game One
- The Gators set the tone for the day in the first inning. DeLeon drew a full-count walk and moved over on Marley Gonzales' league-leading tenth sacrifice bunt. Guerrea drew another walk, and Phoebe Schultz reached on a fielding error, which allowed DeLeon to score.
- SF State added an insurance run in the third inning. Kira Nilson and Guerrera both singled to the outfield, then Schultz laid down a bunt to the pitcher and legged it into a single when nobody covered the bag at first to load the bases. Mia Misasi brought a run home with a sacrifice fly that scored Nilson to make it 2-0.
- A day after striking out a career-high 12, Takeda Bajan (6-10) dazzled with a four-hit shutout. She walked four and struck out a pair on Friday over 103 pitches.
- Marissa Quintero (13-6) took the loss for the Pioneers. She surrendered two runs, one earned, on five hits. She walked three and struck out one.
Game Two
- After the Gators went in order in the top of the first, Annelise Garcia launched a leadoff homer to right field for the early Pioneers lead.
- However, SF State scored the next seven runs. Lexi Holihan singled, Samy Vargas laid down a sac bunt, then Rylee McDaniel doubled down the left field line to score pinch runner Emily Madrigal, who ran for Holihan, to tie the game.
- With one out and runners at the corners, Gonzales drove home McDaniel with a sacrifice fly to give the Gators the lead.
- The Gators added two more runs in the fourth. Guerrera and Schultz both singled to center field. Olivia Clavero pinch ran for Guerrera and Isabel Tellez pinch ran for Schultz and the duo successfully executed a double steal that scored Clavero. Tellez later scored on a Holihan sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.
- McDaniel led off the fifth with a single up the middle, then DeLeon singled, and Gonzales drew a full-count walk to load the bases. Nilson grounded out but that scored McDaniel. Guerrera laid a bunt single in front of the plate and that scored DeLeon. A failed pickoff attempt of Gonzales at third allowed her to score and capped off the three-run frame.
- Roy (10-6) earned the win with a four-inning appearance. She allowed the home run but just two hits after that. She walked one and struck out three.
- Maddux earned the three-inning save with a hitless three innings of relief. She walked three and struck out one.
- Ashlee Toy (8-9) went four innings in a losing effort for the Pioneers. She was charged with four runs, all earned, on five hits. Toy struck out a pair and did not issue a walk.
- Savannah Barchus pitched the final three innings for CSUEB. She was charged with three runs, two earned, on four hits. She walked one and struck out four.
The Gators host Chico State in the Gators' final homestand of the season, April 19-20 versus Chico State. On Saturday, April 20, the Gators will honor their five seniors:
Madeline Eshbach,
Taylor Kelly, Maddux, Misasi, and Schultz. The series will be streamed on the
CCAA Network and live stats will be available at
sfstategators.com/livestats_sb.
