BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 Box Scores: Game One | Game Two
Archived Audio Broadcasts:  Game One | Game Two

ROHNERT PARK, Calif. -- Skylynn Myers went 4 for 7 with a double and three RBI's, Danielle D'Eccliss and Ancia Purdy combined for six hits and five runs scored, but the Sonoma State softball team couldn't come through in clutch situations, dropping both games of Saturday's doubleheader against Cal State Monterey Bay, 6-4 and 4-1, on Saturday afternoon at the Seawolf Softball Field. 

After winning the first eight games to open the 2012 season, including the series-opening win over the Otters, the Seawolves have lost three straight, falling to 8-3 overall and 1-3 in the CCAA.  Cal State Monterey Bay improves to 11-3 (3-1 CCAA).

Game One:  Cal State Monterey Bay 6, Sonoma State 4 (box score)

Both teams got off to powerful starts on offense, as Sonoma State and Cal State Monterey Bay combined for eight runs in the first two innings.  It was the Otters that drew first blood, though, as Jackie Serna brought home Angelina Orozco on an RBI single, Nina Villanueva scored Skyler Valdivia on a fielder's choice bunt and Cori Reinhardt brought home Serna with another RBI single, putting CSUMB up 3-0 early on SSU starting pitcher Ciara Becerril.

Sonoma State would come right back in its half of the first.  Vanessa Currie scored Purdy on a sacrifice fly, then Myers brought home D'Eccliss to cut the Otter lead to 3-2.

The visitors would score another run in the top half of the second on a RBI double by Jamie Moon, but SSU would fire back with a pair of runs in its next offensive opportunity, thanks to a two-RBI single by Myers that brought home D'Eccliss and Purdy.  It would knot the score at 4-4.

The bats then fell silent until the Cal State Monterey Bay fifth inning, when the Otters plated two runs on a RBI double by Reinhardt and on a fielding error by Purdy, allowing Stacey Campos to score.

As Sonoma State had done the entire game, the Seawolves battled back almost immediately, loading the bases with one out.  However, CSUMB's Kylie Linnane, who replaced starter Caitlin Wallace in the second inning, pitched herself out of the jam, retiring Holli Brown and Samantha Beauchamp to end the threat.  In the final two innings, SSU wasn't able to get anything going offensively against Linnane, with the exception of a Myers double in the seventh, but she was left stranded at third base when the game ended.

Myers was a perfect 4 for 4 with three RBI's and both D'Eccliss and Ali Palermo went 2 for 4 at the plate.  Becerril (2-2) was tagged with the loss, giving up all six runs in the game in her five innings of work.  She scattered seven hits, walked two and struckout one.  Samantha Lipperd came on in relief in the sixth and allowed two hits, no runs while walking one and striking out four.

Cal State Monterey Bay was led by the 3 for 4 effort from Reinhardt, who recorded a pair of RBI's.  Linnane (4-0) got the victory for the Otters as she worked the final five innings, allowing just three Sonoma State hits.

Game Two:  Cal State Monterey Bay 4, Sonoma State 1 (box score)

The Seawolves won the race to the plate in game two, due in part to game two starter, Lipperd, who retired the Otters in order with a fly out and two strikeouts.  Purdy got it started in the bottom of the first with a single to right field, then stole second.  Two batters later, Purdy was able to advance to third on a wild pitch by CSUMB starter, Reinhardt, then score when Otter catcher Nicole Pires sailed her attempt to throw Purdy out at third into left field, allowing Purdy to score. 

Reminiscent of Sonoma State's first run, Cal State Monterey Bay came back in the top of the second to score a run on a throwing error by SSU catcher Myers, which brought home Villanueva to tie the score at 1-1.

The Seawolves' offense also came alive in the third and sixth innings, as Sonoma State was able to load the bases in the third inning with no outs.  However, Reinhardt worked herself out of the jam, getting a force out at home on a ground ball before Myers lined into a double play to end the inning.  In the sixth, SSU put runners on second and third with no outs, but again, Reinhardt got out of the inning unscathed, forcing three straight groundouts.

Meanwhile, the CSUMB offense took the 2-1 lead in its half of the fourth when Reinhardt helped her own cause with a RBI single to score Serna.  The Otters threatened for more runs, loading the bases with one out, but Lipperd battled back and forced CSUMB to strand three runners on base.  In the seventh, Cal State Monterey Bay added a pair of insurance runs on a RBI single by Moon and a sacrifice fly by Serna to put the visitors up 4-1 and in position to take three out of four from Sonoma State.

In their last offensive chance, the Seawolves were retired in order, as Reinhardt (5-1) shut the door to earn her fifth victory of the season.  She allowed just for SSU hits and the one run in the first, which was unearned.

Lipperd (6-1) suffered her first loss of the season, scattering five CSUMB hits, allowing four runs (three earned) while walking three and striking out seven.

Sonoma State will hit the road to Hayward next weekend to face Cal State East Bay (7-7, 3-5 CCAA) in a four-game series, starting on Friday.