ROHNERT PARK, Calif. –
Anna Zoia-Buescher delivered a walk-off bases loaded single in the 8
th inning of to help the Sonoma State softball team to a sweep of Cal State East Bay on Tuesday. The Seawolves used great pitching to record 2-1 and 3-2 victories over the Pioneers and take the season series 3-1. SSU improved to 14-7 in CCAA play with the sweep and are now 21-12 overall.
Bailee Reed was fantastic in the circle for the Seawolves in the first game, allowing just two hits in a complete game performance. Reed allowed a lead-off single and then didn't surrender another hit until the 6
th inning. She retired 11 straight batters between the 2
nd and 6
th innings and giving up just one unearned run.
The game remained scoreless into the 5
th with the Seawolves breaking the stalemate with a run in the bottom of the frame.
Skylar Linnane opened with a single and
Amari Houston followed with a hit of her own. After the Pioneers tagged Linnane out at home on a squeeze bunt SSU had runners at the corner with two-outs. Zoia-Buescher and Houston then pulled off a perfect double steal with Houston safely sliding into home.
CSUEB answered back with an unearned run in the top of the 6
th to even the score at 1-1.
Giana Hays then responded, leading off the 6
th with a triple to the right centerfield wall and putting the go ahead run just 60 feet away.
Lauren Mirtoni followed with a sacrifice fly to left to plate the second run. Reed did the rest, retiring the Pioneers in order in the 7
th and earning her 12
th win of the season.
The series finale started off slowly with neither team scoring in the first two innings despite both putting runners on base. CSUEB struck first in the top of the 3
rd off starter
Nichole Sarra, scoring two runs on a two-out single. The game remained 2-0 until the bottom of the 4
th when the Sonoma State offense got going. Linnane and
Carissa Marquez opened with back-to-back walks before
Jade Costa reached on an error to load the bases. Zoia-Buescher then ripped a double off the left field wall to score two runs and tie the game at 2-2.
Sarra kept the Pioneers off the board for the next two innings before giving way to
Charlie Johnson with one out and two runners on in the 7
th. Johnson then pitcher her way out of the jam with back-to-back groundouts to third and keep the game tied. After a scoreless bottom of the 7
th the game headed to the 8
th where Johnson retired the Pioneers in order.
Jasmine Moreno led off the 8
th with a single and Marquez followed two batters later with a single of her own.
Kaiya Dickens then ripped a pinch hit single through the left side to set the stage for Zoia-Buescher. She came through with the big hit, sending a line drive to left field and scoring the game-winning run on a walk-off single.
Zoia-Buescher and Moreno finished with three hits apiece with Zoia-Buescher recording a single, double and triple and driving in all three runs. Sarra went 6.1 innings and allowed just two runs while Johnson earned the victory, retiring five of the six batters she faced.
The Seawolves continue their busy week on Thursday, finishing last Saturday's halted game with Cal Poly Humboldt at 2:00 pm at Seawolf Softball Field. They will then host Cal State San Bernardino for a pair of doubleheaders starting on Friday.
