SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The California State University San Bernardino softball team split a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader with San Francisco State University Friday afternoon at the CSUSB Softball Park.

CSUSB fell 4-3 in game one, before defeating the Gators 7-2 in game two.

With the split, San Bernardino moves to 4-3 overall on the season and opens conference play at 1-1.

Game 1 - San Francisco State 4, Cal State San Bernardino 3

San Bernardino wasted no time getting on the board, as junior Tereise Tosi (Garden Grove, Calif.) belted a solo home run over the center field fence to give the Yotes a 1-0 lead.

Sophomore Mia Escujuri (Chino Hills, Calif.) extended CSUSB's lead to three in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run shot over the left field wall. The long ball was Escujuri's first collegiate home run.

San Francisco State's offense came to life in the top of the fifth, when the Gators posted a four-spot to take a 4-3 lead.

San Bernardino threatened in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with one out, but could not push the tying run across. 

The Tosi and Escujuri home runs were the only two hits the Coyotes mustered in the game one defeat, but the Yotes still stranded eight baserunners thanks to six Gator free passes.

Junior Brooke Blackmon (Exeter, Calif.) took the loss for CSUSB, allowing four earned on four hits with four strikeouts over 4.2 innings pitched. Classmate Samantha Vargas (Grand Terrace, Calif.) looked sharp in relief, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings.

Game 2 - Cal State San Bernardino 7, San Francisco State 2

The Coyotes once again broke the ice in the bottom of the first inning, posting a pair of runs. With the bases loaded, Escujuri got her third RBI of the day when she drew a walk to put CSUSB up 1-0. One batter later, junior Bri Goris (Chino, Calif.) roped a base hit into left field, plating Shannon Galliano (San Mateo, Calif.) from third base to put the hosts up 2-0.

Cal State San Bernardino's bats stayed hot in the second, as the Yotes plated three runs to take a 5-0 lead. Tosi drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI single down the right field line. Emilie Lapeña (Buena Park, Calif.) stretched the CSUSB lead to four on an RBI groundout to first, before an RBI double from Escujuri gave the Yotes a 5-0 lead.

San Francisco State got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI double, but San Bernardino got it right back in the bottom of the frame when sophomore Brooke Brazill (Clovis, Calif.) drove in classmate Shaylee Zaitz (Peoria, Ariz.) with a base hit up the middle. The run gave the Yotes a 6-1 lead.

The Gators scored once in the bottom of the fifth on an infield single to cut the deficit to 6-2.

CSUSB added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a Lapeña sacrifice fly, plating pinch runner Jonessa Hebreo (San Diego, Calif.) from third base.

Vargas put the Gators down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to slam the door shut and earn the complete game victory. She allowed two earned runs on six hits in the win, striking out six and not walking a single batter.

Tosi went 3-for-4 in the win with a double, a run scored, and an RBI, while Galliano and Zaitz each went 2-for-3.

The teams will play games three and four of their series on Saturday at CSUSB Softball Park. Game one of the doubleheader is slated for an 11 a.m. first pitch.

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