ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – The Sonoma State softball team played a pair of wild games on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 12-10 slugfest in game one before falling 2-1 in extra innings in the nightcap. The Seawolves moved to 11-12 on the season with the loss.
SSU looked to be running away with the opener with a huge first inning.
Rylee Nishimoto started with a single and
Cassidy Romano followed with a double to give the Seawolves two runners in scoring position.
Jordyn Martinez then plated the first run with a perfect squeeze bunt.
Courtney Jack delivered the big hit next with a three-run homerun over the left field fence to make it a 4-0 game and chase the Toros starter out of the game.
Nichole Sarra started the game on the rubber for Sonoma and cruised through the first three innings with no damage. The Seawolves offense gave her some more support in the bottom half of the third, scoring three more runs on four hits.
Skylar Linnane walked and was followed by singles by
Giana Hays and
Briana Avalos to load the bases. After an out,
Anna Zoia-Buescher ripped a triple over the centerfielders head to clear the bases and make it a 7-0 game.
The Toros got to Sarra in the fourth, scoring four runs, three of which came on a homer by Kaylee Hull to cut the deficit to 7-4. Jesse Dupuis came on in relief to end the inning and continued into the fifth when CSUDH put up another four runs. Hull once again delivered the big hit with a three-run double and the Toros took their first lead at 8-7.
Sonoma State quickly answered back tying the game at 8-8 in the bottom half of the frame on yet another big hit by Zoia-Buescher. This time she delivered a double to score Avalos who opened the inning with a single.
The two teams were far from done, each putting up more runs in the sixth inning. Hull plated two more for the Toros in the top of the sixth but the Seawolves pulled even once again with a pair in bottom of the inning. Romano led off with a double and scored on a single up the middle by Martinez. Martinez would then come in with the tying run on a single by Hays and the game moved to the seventh tied at 10-10.
CSUDH got to reliever
Bailee Reed in the seventh with another two runs, this time on a two-run shot Kianna Abellera. The Seawolves managed to put two runners on base in the bottom half of the inning but Ashley Wies got the final out on to end the game.
Sonoma State finished with 16 hits in the game, including three-hit games from four different players. Zoia-Buescher finished with a single, double and triple and drove in four while Nishimoto, Romano and Avalos also recorded three hits apiece. Jack finished with three RBIs and Martinez added a pair of runs driven in.
Wies came back out in the second game for the Toros and
Camille Rodriguez matched her inning-for-inning for the Seawolves in a pitchers' duel. The two hurlers shutdown the opposing offenses to the tune of seven scoreless innings before the game went into extra innings.
The Seawolves threatened in the second and third innings, putting a pair of runners on base in the second and loading the bases in the third. However, both times Wies got the final out to end the inning. Rodriguez meanwhile did not allow more than one hit in an inning and was aided by some excellent SSU defense which turned two inning-ending double plays.
The Toros broke through in the eighth, using a walk and back-to-back hits to take a 1-0 lead. They would add another on a single by Hull and took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the inning. Romano got the Seawolves back into the game with a triple and would come in to score on a sacrifice fly by Martinez. However, that would be as close as they would get as Wies induced the game ending pop up to seal her second win of the day.
Rodriguez went all eight innings for Sonoma State, allowing just the two runs and striking out five. Zoia Buescher finished with two hits to give her five total on the day.
The Seawolves are back home again next week for a pair of doubleheaders against Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday and Saturday.
