TURLOCK — The Stanislaus State softball team took both games of the doubleheader on Friday in dramatic fashion as
Katelyn McDonald's long double gave the Warriors the nightcap walk-off victory to complete the sweep.
After a some-what uneventful game one where the Warriors won 1-0, the nightcap had some drama. Both Garvin sisters homered, but Cal State San Marcos erased a four-run deficit before Stan State pulled off the 5-4 win for the sweep.
The Warriors are now 20-14 overall and 11-9 in league play, in fifth place, just percentage points behind fourth place Humboldt State.
Aliyah Garvin gave Stan State an early 3-0 lead with a line-drive homer to left in the first inning. Older sister
Anyssa Garvin then hit a solo homer — a high, tower shot down the left-field line — for her first hit of the season in the fourth to make it 4-0.
But the Cougars (8-28, 4-22 CCAA) fought back. CSUSM sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth inning and scored four runs on just three hits to even the score. The Cougars were helped by three walks, a hit-batsman, a passed ball and a wild pitch in the inning. Abby Callais provided the big hit — a RBI double in the middle of the rally.
The top of the sixth also saw a number of defensive changes by the Warriors and ultimately re-entries as well as pinch hitters and pinch runners by CSUSM.
In the Warriors' final at-bat, with one out and runners at first and second, McDonald sent an 1-0 pitch long over center fielder Sara Langdon's head to score
Aliyah Garvin for the winner.
Aliyah Garvin went 2-for-3 with three RBI and scored twice in game two.
Megan Stacy earned the win in the circle to improve to 8-3 on the season.
Alexus Martinez went 2-for-3 and scored the only run of game one in the Warriors' 1-0 opener win. She singled up the middle to open the third inning, stole second and stole third before scoring on a
Deja Guzman single to left.
Kaitlyn Doyle also had two hits.
Kylie Ragsdale threw a five-hit shutout for the win.
The series concludes with two more games on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.