Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ARCATA – Fine pitching and untimely hitting produced a disappointing Humboldt State split on Saturday.
 
In the circle, Katie Obbema was on her game for the morning opening four-hit shutout, 4-0, for No. 6 HSU in the first contest. Cal State East Bay rocked three homers and HSU left 11 runners on base including the bases loaded twice in a 5-1 East Bay win.
 
"We expected to sweep, but we won three of four. We are OK with it but the fact we won the series is what is important," said HSU head coach Shelli Sarchett.  
Obbema completed an impressive weekend where she went 2-0 with a save by scattering four hits.
 
At the plate, Tiffany Hollingsworth recorded a 5-for-7 afternoon with a double and two RBIs.
 
Game 1
 
In the home first, HSU (24-7/14-6 California Collegiate Athletic Association) received a leadoff double by Tonya Walker. Hollingsworth singled up the middle to plate Walker for the game's first score.
 
The one run would be all Obbema would need. The sophomore (12-4) allowed only three hits, all singles, over the final six frames.
 
The Jacks tacked on some insurance scores in the fifth. Walker walked and Darian Harris singled to left. Hollingsworth drove the ball up the middle to score Walker for the second time in the game. Power hitter Dani Randall laid down a suicide bunt to bring home Hollingsworth, before Julie Pena added the final run on a single for what would be the 4-0 eventual final.
 
Randall went 2-for-3 in the contest.
 
Game 2
 
HSU threatened right from the start. Hollingsworth and Hannah Williams singled and Randall walked to load the bases in the home first with two outs. The Jacks runners were stranded when the next hitter was retired.
 
After two more HSU runners were left on base in the second frame, Cal State East Bay (9-17/6-14 CCAA) broke out its best offensive turn at the plate of the weekend.
 
The Pioneers' Jaynie MacDonald drove the offering deep over the center field fence with one on for a two-run round-tripper. Two batters later, Ali Cerminara added her own long-ball to make it 3-0.
 
HSU squandered a leadoff Hollingsworth double in the third.
 
The Pioneers made it 4-0 with an unearned tally on a Jacks' error in the top of the fifth.
 
With one out, Harris and Hollingsworth recorded back-to-back singles. Hannah Williams lined a hit to right center to bring in Harris to put HSU on the board, 4-1. Randall made it four hits in a row to load the bases, but Cal State East Bay pitcher Emily Perlich finished the next two home hitters off to leave the bases juiced.
 
MacDonald connected for a solo homer to begin the top of the seventh for the visitors.
 
HSU saw Andrea Chavez double in the sixth and Hannah Williams single in the seventh, but the runner became the 10^th and 11^th runners left on base for the 5-1 Cal State East Bay victory.
 
"That's the name of the game. When you leave 11 on base and have 10 hits. We have to take control of opportunities given to us and we didn't get the big hit to drive in runs," stress Sarchett. "We had good hitters up (in those situations). It is disheartening when that happens, but you have days like that. We have hitters wanting to come in tomorrow to work on making adjustments tomorrow and you like to see them want to do that."
 
The HSU continued, "On the mound, Liz (Perez) just had a rough day. The umpire was not giving her a lot and then she had to pipe it down the middle, but it is good to know we have Maddie (Williams) to come in and do a good job."
 
Madison Williams handled the final four innings, where she gave up two hits and one earned run, while fanning six.
 
Her sister, Hannah Williams and Hollingsworth went 3-for-4 each at the plate.
 
HSU will wrap up its 14-game home stretch on Monday afternoon. It will be a battle of NCAA Division II's top two team of the West Region when California Baptist faces HSU starting at noon.
 
Note: The wife of former HSU head softball coach Frank Cheek, Mary Lou Cheek, threw out the ceremonial first pitch on StrikeOut Cancer Day at Lumberjack Field.