HAYWARD, Calif- Off to one of their best starts in program history, Sonoma State continued to show its offensive power, blasting five home runs in two games against the Cal State East Bay Pioneers on Saturday, en route to 3-2 and 9-2 victories at Pioneer Field. The Seawolves have won five straight games, and have also won nine of their last 10 ballgames, improving to 15-4 overall and 10-2 in CCAA play. The Pioneers fell to 4-12.
The Seawolves fell behind early in the first game when Sarah Divini scored after
Skylynn Myers tried to throw out Tia Wunder, who stole second. However,
Samantha Lipperd settled down, allowing just one more run for the remainder of the game.
As Lipperd controlled things on defense, the Seawolf bats showed up in the top half of the fifth inning when
Ali Palermo led off with a solo shot to left field to tie the score at one. After Myers popped up for the first out of the inning,
Simone Brandalise came off the bench to blast a solo shot of her own to deep right field to take the 2-1 lead.
Cal State East Bay immediately knotted the score at two in their next offensive at bat, but Stroud scored in the top of the sixth on an error for the go-ahead run and the eventual 3-2 victory.
Lipperd improved to 8-1 on the season as she went the distance, scattering two hits, giving up two runs and striking out a career-high eight batters. Eight different Seawolves registered a hit in the game one victory.
After holding a 3-1 lead going into the top of the fourth, including a two-run home run by
Ashley Britton in the first, Sonoma State made it clear that they weren't done scoring yet. The Seawolves put a six spot up on the scoreboard, putting the game out of reach. Stroud hit a three-run home run and
Kayla Ledford added a two-run shot to account for five of the six SSU runs in the inning. Palermo brought home Britton after she reached base on a triple.
Julianne Martinez went the distance for the Seawolves in the nightcap, improving to 7-2 on the season. She gave up just two hits, two runs while striking out five. Stroud and
Vanessa Currie had three hits each to lead Sonoma State, as Stroud had a team-leading four RBI. Britton and Ledford added two hits apiece.
Sonoma State will return to action next weekend when it hosts Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday (1 p.m.) and Saturday (Noon) in Rohnert Park.
Box Scores:
Sonoma State 3, Cal State East Bay 2
Sonoma State 9, Cal State East Bay 2