ROHNERT PARK, Calif-  Sonoma State split a CCAA softball doubleheader with UC San Diego on Friday afternoon in Rohnert Park.  The Seawolves were edged 2-1 in the opener before bouncing back to capture game two by a 3-2 score.  The win lifts SSU to 7-9, 1-3 CCAA on the year.  The Tritons drop to 9-9, 4-2 CCAA.

SSU's Lindsay Emmel and UCSD's Melissa Ward locked up in a pitcher's duel in the opener with neither team doing anything of note at the plate for four innings.  The Tritons finally got on the board in the fifth when Allison May lined a ball over the left field fence for her first home run of the year.  The Seawolves answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning on a Claire Hiney sacrifice fly.

The Tritons went up 2-1 in the sixth when Brittni Carino came around to score on a Nicole Saari double to left center.  SSU would have an opportunity to tie it in the seventh after Alex Winters laced a one-out double, but she was left stranded.

Ward got the win after allowing just five hits and striking out four in seven innings.  Despite a solid, eight-strikeout performance, Emmel was tagged with the loss as she falls to 2-5 on the year.

Winters finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and Saari had a pair of hits for the Tritons.

The Seawolves wasted little time in game two, scoring twice in the bottom of the first when Melissa Calvin drove in a pair on a dribbler to the right side.  A third run was added in the third on a Bri Jayne RBI single that scored Alex Winters.

SSU starter Simone Brandalise was cruising, allowing just one hit through six innings before the Tritons finally got to her.  After a single by Danielle Lukk to open up the inning, Saari tripled to bring her home.  A pinch runner would score for Saari two plays later on a Jenny Habib RBI single, but Brandalise was able to induce the final two batters into outs to shut the door.

Brandalise (1-4) struck out four batters and allowed four hits in seven innings.  Lauren Chastain went the first 2.2 for UCSD and gave up three runs to earn the loss.

Calvin was the offensive leader for SSU with two hits and two RBIs.  No Triton had more than a single hit, though two of their hits (a double by Dallas Hernandez and a triple by Nicole Saari) were for extra bases.

The teams will meet in another doubleheader tomorrow starting at 10:00 am.  The game was moved up an hour in anticipation of wet weather.

Game One Box
Game Two Box