TURLOCK — Yes, softball -- like baseball -- is an interesting game. The Cal State Stanislaus Warriors needed just one hit to win a game to start the day, but 14 hits in the next two games weren't good enough for victories.
In the team's first game on the day at the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational at the Pedretti Sports Complex, the Warriors got timely hitting from
Jordan Flora and solid defense in the eighth inning to beat Cal State Dominguez Hills, 2-1.
Later in the day, the Warriors fell to Cal State San Marcos 5-3 and dropped to Metro State 6-3.
Agains Cal State Dominguez Hills, Flora's RBI double to deep left field in the sixth inning scored
Sarah Locarnini to even the score at 1-1. That was Stanislaus' first and only hit in the game.
With the tournament's international tiebreaker rule in effect,
Brittani Weatherford was placed at second base to start the inning. Weatherford stole third to start the frame and with two outs scored on a wild pitch to score the go-ahead run.
In the bottom half of the inning, pinch runner Ciara Campos went to third on a grounder, and with one out, Catherine Brown lined out to second base. Locarnini promptly tossed out Campos at the plate as she tried to score thinking Brown's batted ball had hit the ground.
Weatherford was the winning pitcher in game one as she went all eight innings. She gave up five hits and struck out four.
Cal State San Marcos had 11 hits in the win over the Warriors with the Cougars' first four batters going 8-for-14.
Vanessa Del Toro had two of the team's six hits for Stanislaus in that contest.
In the nightcap (the game started at 7:25 p.m.), Metro State rallied for four runs in the final two innings for the win.
Natalie Rendon was tagged with the loss in relief as she tossed the final 3 1/3 innings.
Brittney Rickles and Weatherford each had two of the team's eight hits to lead CSUS offensively.
Cal State Stanislaus will face Dominican at 12:30 p.m. and San Francisco State at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, the final day of the 10-team tournament hosted by the Warriors.
