The SF State Gators extended their winning streak to nine games by sweeping the Grand Canyon University Antelopes in a non-conference doubleheader Friday afternoon.

Gator Freshman Jordana Freemer pushed her hitting streak to a team-high 10 games with a RBI single in the first game and a home run that tied up the second game 1-1.

“It felt good to help the team,” Freemer said. “That’s the most important thing.”

The Gators (15-7, 8-2 CCAA) leaned on the strong arms of freshman Kaitlin Klein and junior Sonja Garnett as the two pitchers stifled the Antelopes’ bats allowing just one run and eight hits over 14 innings.

Klein started the first game of the doubleheader and proved that her recently injured pitching arm is back to its old form, shutting out the Antelopes 3-0 and picking up her first win as a Gator. Klein kept the Antelope hitters off balance all game, mixing in a variety of pitches in the win.

“I tried to mix in the change-up, (and) rise and drop balls throughout the game,” Klein said. “It feels great. This is the first win of my college career.”

With the game still scoreless in the third inning, junior catcher Mary Cunnie led off with a single and was pushed over to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Lauren Dowell. Sophomore Danielle Russo followed with a bunt single and stole second, setting the table for sophomore Nicole Hartfield.

Hartfield answered the call, smacking a line drive up the middle, scoring Cunnie and Dowell giving the Gators all the runs they would need.

The Gators added an insurance run in the fourth after a lead-off double by Freemer and a RBI single by Cunnie. Cunnie was 2-for-2 at the plate with a RBI and a run scored.

The Antelopes came out in the second game trying for the split in the series and got off to a good start, taking the lead in the third inning behind a home run by shortstop Jamie Stacy. Stacy belted a Garnett curveball over the left field wall momentarily giving the Antelopes a 1-0 lead and the momentum.

“I threw her a curveball, and well, it didn’t work,” Garnett said. “They were one of the tougher offensive teams that we have played.”

After the Gators failed to score in the bottom half of the third, the Antelopes came back out swinging, led by outfielder Heather Dukes, who doubled to right center to lead off the fourth inning. Dukes advanced to third on a grounder back to the pitcher.

The Antelope rally came to a screeching halt thanks to shortstop Chrissy Hildebrandt’s diving snag of a line drive off the bat of Heather Keepers. Garnett finished the inning striking out Nicole Seymour, keeping the Antelopes lead at 1-0.

“Today was more of a mental game,” Garnett said. “I had to stay focused on every pitch.”

The Gators tied the game in the fourth when Freemer came up and lined a fastball over the left field wall, extending her hitting streak to 10 games and giving her four home runs on the season.

Sophomore second baseman Vanessa Rodriquez led off the sixth with a walk, putting the go-ahead run on first for the Gators. Hartfield followed with a sacrifice bunt, and third baseman Keepers rushed her throw to first, sending an errant ball past the first baseman for an error.

Both Rodriquez and Hartfield advanced, putting runners on second and third with one out. Rodriquez scored on a wild pitch, giving the Gators a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Kristin Bartholamay capped off the inning with an RBI single, putting the Gators up 3-1.

Garnett closed things out in the seventh, pushing her record to 11-2. Garnett was named the Wilson/CCAA Pitcher of the Week for both weeks of Feb. 21-27 and Feb. 28-Mar. 6. She now holds the school record in wins with 54 and strikeouts with 308.

“It’s definitely a bonus to have all three of our pitchers healthy and pitching well,” Lansford said.
“Pitching and defense has definitely been our strength this season.”

The Gators will put their nine-game winning streak on the line March 17 at Sonoma State University in a CCAA doubleheader.