SAN FRANCISCO – The No. 22 San Francisco State softball team split Saturday's doubleheader with Cal State San Bernardino. The Gators took game one 6-5 in eight innings but fell late in the series finale, 4-2.

By the Numbers

• SF State, which is ranked No. 22 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll and No. 2 in the West Region, moves to 34-18 overall and finishes CCAA play at 21-15. CSUSB remains at .500 at 26-26 and 18-18, and earns the number five seed to the CCAA Tournament. No. 25 Cal State San Marcos fell twice to No. 13 Cal State East Bay and the Gators had to watch the scoreboard but Sonoma State ultimately fell in its series finale at Chico State, giving the Gators the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the CCAA Tournament.
• Before the game, the Gators honored their eight seniors: shortstop Kai DeLeon, catcher Marley Gonzales, right fielder Daniella Guerrera, third baseman Lexi Holihan, second baseman Rylee McDaniel, left fielder Kira Nilson, pitcher Mari Takeda Bajan, and pitcher Nia Trinidad.
• The Gators' walk-off win in game one was their fifth of the season.
• McDaniel had a two-hit game in game one and hit her third home run of the series and tenth of the season. Her home run went off the face of the left field scoreboard. On Friday, she went opposite field and hit a homer to dead center.
• Takeda Bajan earned her 16th win of the season. That's the most wins by a Gators pitcher since Emily Mitchell and Karla Soto both had 17 wins in 2019.
• DeLeon was 3-for-3 with two walks, a run and an RBI in game one, and went 2-for-4 with an RBI in game two.
• Tereise Tosi, the CCAA's leading hitter, was held fairly quiet on Friday but went 4-for-4 with two RBI in game one.

Game 1

How They Scored

• The Coyotes got the jump on Takeda Bajan with a four-hit first inning. Isabella Venegas' single up the middle put CSUSB up 1-0. Gonzales picked Bri Goris off at second for the second out and the Gators got out of a bases-loaded jam on a fielder's choice with DeLeon alertly throwing to third for the third out.
• SF State hung a crooked number in the bottom of the second to take a 4-1 lead. McDaniel sent the first pitch she saw to left field, then the Coyotes got back-to-back fly ball outs but were unable to close out the inning. Holihan singled inside the third base line to tie the game, Ashley Rocha followed with another single, and DeLeon loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk. Then, Gonzales fired a shot up the middle out of the diving reach of second baseman Brooke Brazil that brought two runs home. Guerrera capped off the rally with a flare to shallow center field that dropped between two fielders and brought DeLeon home.
• In the third inning, McDaniel crushed a ball off of the face of the scoreboard in left field for a 5-1 Gators lead.
• The Coyotes put together a two-out rally of their own in the fourth. Takeda Bajan got two quick outs but Hebreo tapped a single back to the circle and nobody was able to cover first in time. A walk to leadoff batter Shannon Galliano then set up an RBI single by Emilie Lapeña to right center. Tosi then delivered a two-run triple down the right field line to cut the lead to 5-4.
• Tosi led off the seventh with a single and scored on a Venegas single down the left field line. However, Venegas was caught in a rundown trying stretch it into a double for the second out. The Gators got out of the inning on a groundball fielder's choice.
• The Gators loaded the bases in the eight and DeLeon delivered the game-winner with a shot through the left side of the infield.

In The Circle

• Takeda Bajan (16-6) went the distance for the 15th time this season. Despite allowing 15 hits, she allowed just two earned runs in eight innings of work. She walked two and fanned four.
• Ashley Legler (7-7) went seven and a third innings. She gave up six runs on 12 hits. She walked thee and struck out four.

Game 2

How They Scored

• The Coyotes also took the early lead in game one. With two on and one out in the second inning, Alex Hooper delivered an RBI single to left field. However, Elise Roy was able to work out of further trouble and stranded a pair.
• The Gators answered in the bottom half of the second. McDaniel skied a ball to left center that was hard to find against the gray sky. The ball dropped between three fielders and rolled to the fence, which allowed her to leg out a triple. Nilson sent a one-out single through the left side that tied the game at 1-1.
• The Gators took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Holihan drew a walk and pinch runner Shannon Tierney scored on DeLeon's RBI double into the left field corner.
• CSUSB threatened with the bases loaded in the sixth but Roy worked out of the jam with a fly ball to right center. In the seventh, the Coyotes chased Roy and plated two runs off of reliever Kharime Caratachea.
• The Gators got the winning run to the plate but McDaniel struck out looking to end it.

In The Circle

 

• Roy pitched well but took a no-decision after 99 pitchces. She allowed two runs on eight hits in six and a third innings. She walked two and struck out a pair. Roy had a string of tough luck and has not recorded a win in her last seven outings.
• Caratachea (4-4) was unable to pick up the save and instead took the loss in two thirds of an inning. She was charged with two unearned runs on three hits and a walk.
• Brooke Blackmon allowed two runs on five hits over five innings. She walked a pair and struck out a pair.
• Samantha Vargas (11-7) earned the win with two scorless innings. She allowed one hit with a walk and two strikeouts.

Up Next

The No. 22 Gators have a first-round bye in the CCAA Tournament presented by FloCollege. The tournament, hosted by Sonoma State, will begin on Wednesday with a pair of elimination games. For more information, visit Tournament Central.