SEASIDE, Calif. – The Sonoma State softball team earned a split against Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday, taking the nightcap 6-4 after a 1-0 loss in the first game. The Seawolves scored the final four runs of the second game and moved to 10-4 in CCAA play.
The first game was a pitchers' duel from the start with
Bailee Reed taking the rubber for Sonoma State. She retired nine of the first ten batters she faced as the game moved into the fifth still at 0-0. After Otters starter Cassie Gasper got through the top half of the inning, CSUMB scored the game's only run in the bottom of the inning. The Otters used three hits to score an unearned run off Reed and Gasper did the rest from there. She retired the Seawolves in order in the sixth and seventh to earn the win.
Reed went six innings, allowing just five hits and the one unearned run while striking out four.
Jordyn Martinez led the offense with two hits.
Sonoma State started quickly in the nightcap with
Anna Zoia-Buescher leading off the game with a solo homerun. Martinez later singled and advanced to second on an error before coming around to score on a single by
Giana Hays. CSUMB answered back in the bottom of the frame, picking up four runs on three two-out hits off starter
Nichole Sarra.
Charlie Johnson came on in relief to start the second and cruised through the second. The Seawolves got a run back in the third with Zoia-Buescher and
Rylee Nishimoto opening the frame with back-to-back singles. Hays then laid down a squeeze bunt to score Zoia-Buescher and make it 4-3.
The score stayed that way until the sixth after Johnson got through the third, fourth and fifth without allowing a run. In the top of the sixth the Sonoma State offense got going again.
Courtney Jack led off with a double and scored the tying run on a triple by
Cassidy Romano.
Lauren Mirtoni followed with a bunt to score Romano and the Seawolves led 5-4.
Johnson retired the Otters in order on the sixth and Sonoma State added an insurance run in the seventh after an error allowed a run to score. After a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh, Johnson got the final three outs to earn her first career win. She went six scoreless inning and allowed just three hits.
Offensively, Nishimoto finished with three hits while Zoia-Buescher and Hays added two apiece. Hays led the team with two RBIs with Zoia-Buescher hitting her third homerun of the season.
These two teams square off again tomorrow afternoon for another doubleheader starting at 12:00 pm. Live stream is available on the CCAA Network and live stats through sonomaseawolves.com