Box Scores: Game One / Game Two
Archived Audio Broadcasts: Game One / Game Two

ROHNERT PARK, Calif- Sophomore pitchers Samantha Lipperd and Julianne Martinez combined for 17 innings of shutout softball, giving up just three hits and striking out 20 between the two, helping Sonoma State to a doubleheader sweep of Cal State East Bay on Friday afternoon at the Seawolf Softball Field. The Seawolves (5-2, 2-0 CCAA) open up conference play on a winning note, while the Pioneers fall to 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the CCAA.

Game One: Sonoma State 1, Cal State East Bay 0 (10 innings)

It was a pitchers duel right from the first pitch, as neither Lipperd or Cal State East Bay starting pitcher Kelly Lowe allowed a hit in the first seven innings of play. The Pioneers' Taylor Neumann was able to break through with a hit in the top of the eighth, braking up Lipperd's bid for a perfect game with a single to center field. It ended a streak of 21 straight batters that Lipperd retired. The single was the only threat by the Pioneers in the game, though, as Lipperd retired the next three hitters to end the inning.

Sonoma State, meanwhile, battled with Cal State East Bay's Lowe and didn't manage a hit until the ninth inning, but the Seawolves were able to get base runners by virtue of four walks and a hit batsmen throughout the no-hitter by Lowe in the first eight innings. SSU couldn't capitalize on the baserunners, though, and the game went to the 10th inning, implementing the international tiebreaker rule, placing a runner on second base to start the inning.

In the 10th, Mishka Hamor was placed on second and with one out and a 0-2 count, Lipperd hit Neumann, putting runners on first and second with one out. However, Lipperd got out of the jam, retiring the next two batters with a groundout to short stop and a strikeout.

The Seawolves, in the bottom half of the 10th, put Ali Palermo on second with the tiebreaker rule and Skylynn Myers was hit by the pitch to start the inning. With runners on first a second and no outs, Rochelle Vanyi came through to deliver the game-winning RBI double to right field, scoring Palermo for the 1-0 victory.

Lipperd tied a school record with 15 strikeouts, allowing just one hit. Brittany Martinez, who smacked a single up the middle in the ninth to end Lowe's no-hit bid, and Vanyi were the only two Seawolves with a hit in game one.

Lowe gave way to Talia Ferrari in the ninth, but not before tossing 8.1 innings and giving up the hit to Martinez. She walked four, hit a batter, and struck out four. Ferrari officially pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th.

Game Two: Sonoma State 2, Cal State East Bay 0

In game two, Sonoma State loaded the bases with two outs in the second and Megan Konieczka walked to bring in a run for the 1-0 lead. Vanessa Currie then pinch hit and also walked, bringing home a run for the 2-0 Seawolf lead. However, after a pitching change by Cal State East Bay, the Pioneers forced Brittanie Verissimo to ground out, ending the bases loaded threat.

It would prove to be the only runs of the ballgame for either team.

Julianne Martinez went the distance in the pitching circle for Sonoma State, giving up just two hits while striking out five and walking three. Catherine Schorn pitched 4.1 innings in relief, allowing just two hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Lauren Zweigle, who started for the Pioneers, gave up the two walks that brought in the two runs in the second.

Brittany Martinez, Myers and Kayla Ledford all had hits for the Seawolves in game two. Kassy Winger and Devin Salmones had hits for the Pioneers.

Sonoma State and Cal State East Bay will wrap up the four-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader, starting at 11 a.m. at the Seawolf Softball Field.