The Gators softball team finished its regular season sweeping the UC San Diego Tritons during a doubleheader at SF State.

With the sweep, the Gators finished the season with a 40-14 overall record and a 20-8 California Collegiate Athletic Association record. This makes their third straight 40-win season and their CCAA record puts them in third place in the conference. SF State is now 20th in the nation and third in the Western Region.

In game one Sonja Garnett pitched her 15th complete game shutout of the season.

“All my hard work and dedication is paying off and I am more than thankful to be part of this team,” Garnett said. She pitched a three-hit complete game to improve to 102-50 in her career, and struck out nine batters on the way to the Gators' win in game one.

Neither the Gators nor the Tritons scored until the seventh, when Lauren Dowell opened the inning with a hit, putting her on first base. She made it to second when Amanda Myer walked. Following the walk Dowell and Myer both advanced to second and third. Dowell scored the game-winning run when Vanessa Rodrigue hit a double giving the Gators their 1-0 victory of the first game.

Rodrigue’s double ties her with Dowell for the all-time career record in doubles at SF State with 36.
“It’s a great feeling, a huge adrenaline rush,” Rodrigue said. “Lauren is a great player too, and the fact that we both tied the record is awesome.”

During the second game, UC San Diego took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Triton Brittni Carino scored on a Gator error. SF State went on to tie the game 1-1 in their half of the second on a home run by Dani Ramirez, making this her second of the season.

The Tritons took the lead back in the third, making the score 2-1 Tritons until the Gators struck back in the sixth inning. Jordanna Freemer reached first with a hit to start the inning. She then advanced to second with a hit from Kristin Bartholomay and made it home when Ramirez hit a double to tie the game again, 2-2. Ramirez advanced to third and scored the game-winning run on a two-out single by Dowell.

During the second game, Holly Pearce pitched her 10th complete game of the season, improving to 10-8 this season. Ramirez finished game two 3-for-3, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Dowell was 2-for-3 with the game-winning hit.

The Gators will be off to regionals for their third straight year Thursday, May 11 against the Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans at the Cal State Bakersfield campus. SF State is 3-0 against the Vulcans this season.

“We are definitely looking forward to it, we’ll be preparing all week,” said softball coach Kristi Lansford. “The more prepared we are, the easier it will be to win.”