SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State softball team notched another sweep with a pair of shutout over Menlo on Monday afternoon at SFSU Softball Field. The Gators won game one 3-0 and capped things off with an 8-0 win in five innings.
- The Gators move to 8-1 while Menlo has been shutout in its first four games and continues to look for its first win as an NCAA Division II program. SF State is off to its best start since opening 5-1 in 2013. The 2006 team that advanced to the NCAA Regionals started 11-2.
- Daniella Guerrera had a two-hit game in game two to go with three RBI. That brings her season total to a team-leading 13 RBI.
- SF State had five stolen bases on the day, bringing the team's total to 25.
- No player recorded more than one hit in game one.
- SF State recorded a season-low four hits in game one. That's the fewest hits in which the Gators still won dating back to April 7, 2023 at Cal State Monterey Bay when the Gators won 2-0 on two hits.
Game One
- The Gators left a runner at third in the first, then caught a huge break in the second when the Gators had the bases loaded with two outs. DeLeon hit a comebacker to pitcher Brianna Padilla. Padilla fired the ball to first base and the ball glanced off of the glove of first baseman Bella Cortez, which allowed two unearned runs to come home.
- Gators started Nia Trinidad worked out of a jam in the sixth inning. Menlo started the frame with back-to-back singles but Trinidad got a fly ball, then a fielder's choice at third base to keep the runners at first and second. Pinch hitter Gabrielle Roridguez singled to second base but the Gators caught the Oaks trying to take more on the basepaths. Second baseman threw to DeLeon at short to try and get the runner there and DeLeon threw home, where Marley Gonzales applied the tag on Lucy Brooks trying to sneak home.
- The Gators added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Guerrera singled and Emily Madrigal came in to pinch run. She moved up when Marissa Jordan was hit by a pitch, and that chased Padilla. Oaks reliever Shelby White got a line drive double play ball and nearly got out of it but Madrigal stole third and catcher Emma Wilson's throw glanced off the inside corner of the bag and skipped into left field, which allowed Madrigal to come home safely.
- Trinidad (1-0) went the distance on 95 pitches. She allowed seven hits without a walk. She struck out a career-high seven.
- Padilla went five innings and was charged with three runs, all unearned. She gave up four hits, walked one, and struck out two.
- Shelby White pitched one inning of hitless relief.
Game Two
- The Gators set the tone with a four-run third inning. With runners at second and third and one out, Guerrera doubled home both Ashley Rocha and DeLeon for a quick 2-0 lead. Guerrera stole third, then avoided the tag at home on Kira Nilson's fielder's choice to second base. WIth two outs, Nilson stole third, then scored on Shaunessy Cardwell's hard-hit single through the right side that made it 4-0.
- SF State ended things early with another four-run inning in the fifth. Gonzales started the inning with an infield single, stole second, and scored on a Guerrera double that made it 5-0. The Gators had runners on the corners and that prompted a pitching chance. Lexi Holihan drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases. White recorded a strikeout but hit Kate Nelson to bring home another run. White got another strikeout but walked Rocha with the bases loaded, then DeLeon hit a hard-hit ball to short that Alexia Lozano couldn't field cleanly, which allowed pinch runner Olivia Clavero to score the game-winning run.
- Mari Takeda Bajan (4-0) tossed four innings of shutout softball. She scattered five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
- Kharime Caratachea pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
- Oaks starter Destanee Perez (0-2) gave up seven runs, all earned, on eight hits over four innings.
- White allowed a run in two thirds of an inning of relief.
The Gators will head to the Tournament of Champions presented by the City of Turlock and hosted by Stanislaus State. The Gators will face Vanguard and Saint Martin's on Valentine's Day, followed by games versus No. 18 Northwest Nazarene, Central Washington, and Academy of Art.
