TURLOCK, Calif- Following an early loss to San Francisco State, the Sonoma State softball team rallied for back-to-back wins over Dominican and Cal State Stanislaus to start out the 2011 season 2-1 at the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational at Pedretti Park in Turlock. The Seawolves will close play twice tomorrow to close out a busy opening weekend.
Game One Box: San Francisco State 5, Sonoma State 2
After getting out to a 1-0 lead in the opener against the Gators, the Seawolves saw their lead disappear with a pair of walks, then three straight singles. Sonoma would pull to within one run on a
Brittany Martinez RBI double, but that would be their final score as the Gators held on for the 5-2 victory.
Martinez finished the game 3-for-3, accounting for nearly half of the Seawolves' eight hits.
Samantha Lipperd had a rocky start to her 2011 campaign, yielding five runs in six innings despite an impressive 11 strikeouts.
Game Two Box: Sonoma State 8, Dominican 0
Freshman
Ciara Becerril had a memorable collegiate debut in game two, allowing no walks and just two hits to earn the complete game 8-0 win. The Seawolves got their first run when
Skylynn Myers stole third, then came in to score on an error in the second. Their second run came on an RBI double off the bat of
Brittanie Verissimo.
Sonoma State was able to put the game away with six runs in the fifth inning. Martinez got the fireworks started with a two-run triple to right field. She was backed up by an RBI single by
Ali Palermo and a solo homer by Myers.
Myers, Verissimo, and
Rochelle Vanyi each had two hits to lead the Seawolf attack.
Game Three Box: Sonoma State 3, Cal State Stanislaus 2
The Seawolves' most exciting game of the day came in the nightcap as they rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to stun the host Warriors, 3-2. Sonoma got four hits in the seventh, including the game-winner, a single poked through the right side by
Kayla Ledford.
After the teams traded runs in the third inning, Cal State Stanislaus went up 2-1 in the sixth when Missy Corral scampered home on an error. With their backs against the wall, the Seawolves began the seventh with a single down the left field line by Myers. Following a single by Vanyi and a single by pinch hitter
Vanessa Currie, Vanyi came in to score on a failed pickoff attempt by the Warrior catcher. Currie would then score the game-winner in the next at bat.
Myers and Vanyi had two hits apiece to lead the Seawolves in game three.
Julianne Martinez was credited with the win after going seven innings, allowing five hits, two runs (both unearned) and striking out seven.
Up Next
The Seawolves will conclude the Best of the West Invitational on Sunday against Chico State (2-1) and Cal State San Marcos (3-0).
