BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 GAME 1:  #9 Humboldt State 7, Sonoma State 2 -- Box Score
GAME 2:  #9 Humboldt State 4, Sonoma State 1 -- Box Score

ROHNERT PARK -- Amanda Rossetta pounded out four hits, including a double, and Alison Strycula had three hits with a triple and an RBI, but the Sonoma State softball team suffered a pair of losses, 7-2 and 4-1, at the hands of ninth-ranked Humboldt State on Friday afternoon at the Seawolf Softball Field. 

The Seawolves have lost three straight games, all to Humboldt State, falling to 30-14 overall and 14-12 in the CCAA, but remain in fourth place in the conference standings, one game ahead of Chico State.  The Lumberjacks rise to 36-10 overall and are two games out of first place with a 20-6 mark in CCAA action.

In the opener, Humboldt State got off to a quick start, plating three runs in the top of the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead.  Sonoma State countered with a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by Keisi Chinen to score Strycula to cut the HSU lead to 3-1.  The bats for both teams remained silent until the top of the fifth when Sarah Fox delivered a grand slam with two outs in an inning that was extended due to a defensive error earlier in the frame.

The score remained 7-1 in favor of the visitors until the bottom of the seventh inning when Strycula tripled to left field, scoring Holli Brown, but that's all the Seawolves would muster, falling 7-2.

Humboldt's Katie Obbema improved to 17-6 after working the first five innings; she allowed four hits and one run, striking out five.  Madison Williams came on in relief at the start of the sixth inning and gave up three hits and a run.

Amanda Llerena suffered the loss, dropping to 18-8 this season; she scattered eight hits and allowed seven runs, although only two were earned.  Melissa Smith tossed the final inning and two-thirds, giving up one hit.

Offensively, Strycula, Chinen and Rossetta led the way with two hits each -- the only other Seawolf to record a hit in the opener was Hayley Condon.

In the nightcap, both starting pitchers -- Sonoma's Katy Bihl and Humboldt's Liz Perez -- were dominant until the sixth inning when both teams finally broke through for some runs.  In the top of the sixth after Bihl had held HSU to just one hit through the first five frames, the 'Jacks got a two-RBI single from Tiffany Hollingsworth to break a scoreless tie.  In the Seawolves' next at bat, Megan Konieczka cut the HSU lead in half with a solo home run -- her 14th of the season -- to lead off the bottom of the sixth.

However, Humboldt State's Julie Pena plated two more runs for the visitors in the top of the seventh on a two-run shot over the right field fence, putting the Lumberjacks up 4-1.  In the bottom of the seventh, Sonoma got two runners on base with one out and the tying run came to the plate twice, but HSU's Perez held up strong and earned a strikeout and a pop out to end the game.

Perez (11-4) allowed seven hits to Seawolf batters while striking out eight.  Bihl (6-3) also gave up just seven hits, striking out three, but the four runs would be the difference.

Konieczka and Rossetta each had two hits in game two, Strycula, Condon and Brown accounted for the other three. 

Sonoma State and Humboldt State will wrap up the series on Senior Day Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 am.  Four SSU seniors -- Katy Bihl, Hayley Condon, Megan Konieczka and Angelica Mendoza -- will be honored in a special pre-game ceremony to mark their final collegiate home games.