SEASIDE, Calif. — The second game of Friday's series–opening doubleheader versus San Francisco State will have to wait another day for its conclusion after darkness halted the game at 5–5 heading to the bottom of the 11th inning. It ended a wild day of softball action at the Otter Sports Complex that saw SFSU rally late to take the opener 5–1.

Freshman Rosalia Keirns (Fontana/Claremont HS) was one strike away from earning her first collegiate win in her first collegiate start in Game 2. Keirns had been brilliant, allowing just three hits (two of them infield singles) through 6 2/3 innings. But Gator designated hitter Kasie Trezona upset the apple cart with her first collegiate hit. It just happened to be a 2–out grand slam that gave SFSU a 5–2 lead.

But the Otters displayed some firepower of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Courtney Hennings (Amador Valley HS), making her first collegiate starts at second base, blasted her first collegiate homer, a 2–run shot to center, to pull the Otters to within 5–4.

Following an Anneliese Lopez (Ventura/Buena HS) single and a wild pitch, Madison Casto (Sunnyvale/Homestead HS) delivered a double off the fence in left center to tie the game and force extra innings.

The Otters had glorious chances to win in the ninth and 10th innings, but great defensive plays by Gator shortstop Jennifer Lewis and rightfielder Aryn Guzman robbed Bianca Noriega (Camarillo HS) and Hennings of potential walk-off hits.

The Otters scored without benefit of a hit in the first inning of game one but didn't solve SFSU starter Megan Clark the rest of the way. Otter freshman Tori Pierucci (San Mateo/Hillsdale HS) was even more brilliant early, throwing four innings of no-hit, 1-walk ball to begin the game.

But SFSU, which had managed just eight extra base hits in its first nine games, touched Pierucci for three doubles and a triple over the next inning and a third as the Gators scored five unanswered runs to take a 5–1 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

CSUMB had a chance to tie in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out and All–Americans Casto and Noriega due up. Casto hit a wicked liner, but right at Gator second baseman Kayli Shaw. Shaw made the catch and caught Anneliese Lopez straying off first for the game–ending double play. It was the fourth out the Otters made on the bases in the game and the third double play on an infield popup on liner.

Courtney Varela (Torrance HS) finished Friday 5-for-8 to lead the Otter offense. Noriega went 2-for-8 with two doubles and two RBIs. Jayme Stark (3-for-7) also hit safely in both games with a pair of doubles.

The Otters and Gators will conclude Game 2 beginning at noon Saturday. They'll beginning their regularly scheduled doubleheader 20 minutes following the conclusion of that game.