Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 McKINLEYVILLE – After struggling in recent games, Dani Randall did nothing short of busting out Saturday by powering Humboldt State with a pair of homers and drove in six runs to help sweep San Francisco State.
 
Randall pulled an outside pitch over the left field fence for a first-inning grand slam and the Lumberjacks would never trail afterwards in a 7-6 opening win. The junior added a second round-tripper and Tonya Walker lined a two-run single through the right side to complete the pair of victories over the Gators, 5-2, in the late contest.
 
"It was two good games today. We had to come out and take those after splitting yesterday," noted HSU head coach Shelli Sarchett. "Dani took an outside changeup for a grand slam. She has been struggling so I moved her down in the lineup hopefully to find her groove. I think she's getting back there."
 
On the day, Randall connected on her eighth and ninth homers of the season and totaled three blasts for the four-game set. The outfielder went 4-for-6 with a double, a single, two runs and six RBIs.
 
Catcher Darian Harris also had four hits including a double for the HSU offense.
 
The No. 7-ranked Jacks (21-6) finished off its third of four California Collegiate Athletic Association weekend series where they won three of four contests. The three wins improved the team's league mark to 11-5.
 
Game 1
 
As was the case in each of the four games, San Francisco State (7-14/3-11 CCAA) struck first. With two outs in the top of the opening at bat, Kylie Grabowski laced a double to right center for a 2-0 lead.
 
The visitors would not remain in front long.
 
With one out, Harris lined a solid single up the middle. Tiffany Hollingsworth followed with an infield hit and Hannah Williams drew a free pass to load the sacks. On a outside pitch, Randall muscled the ball over the left field fence for the grand slam and 4-2 advantage.
 
Andrea Chavez and Walker singled home a run apiece in the fourth to make it 6-2.
 
Ahead 6-3, Hollingsworth singled to leadoff the fifth and advanced to third on a Gators' outfield error. Randall added a fifth RBI with another deep drive for a double and important seventh run.
 
After plating a single run in the sixth, San Francisco State made its last push. Courtney Gravel started the scoring with a one-out double. The Gators took advantage of a pair of Jacks errors to push across two unearned scores, before Madison Williams forced pinch-hitter Gabby Reta to pop out to end the game, 7-6.
 
"It was good to see Maddie throw seven innings," said the HSU coach. "Our defense has to realize she is a ground ball pitcher and we have to make plays for her."
 
Madison Williams improved to 6-0 on the year with her second complete game in 12 appearances.
 
Game 2

 
For the fourth time of the weekend, HSU played from behind right away.
 
With two outs and two on, San Francisco State put runs on the board on a home error and added a second tally on a hit by the next batter for a 2-0 early lead.
 
Randall drove her second ball out of the park to lead off the home second to cut the margin in half, 2-1.
 
Harris manufactured the tying run in the third. She singled up the middle, stole second and went to third on a passed ball, before a solid liner by Hollingsworth drove her home.
 
Tied at two, Julie Pena walked and Sarah Fox singled to begin the fourth. After Alison McKibbon put down a sac bunt, Walker knocked a hard hit through the right side to score both runners. Walker would dash home on the next HSU hitter, Harris, who doubled off the right center fence to make it 5-2.
 
The three-run lead was all Katie Obbema would need in the circle. The second-year hurler gave up two hits in the final three scoreless frames for her 10^th victory of the year.
 
"In the second game, it was great to see Katie come back like that and for us to put some runs on the board for support. We didn't put a lot of runs on the board but we score enough," concluded Sarchett. "It was great to see the team have focus when the chips are down."
 
In a special note of the game, Obbema's twin sister, Jenny, pitched the final two innings for San Francisco State. It marked the first time the two sophomore twins pitched against each other both in their lives and collegiately.
 
While pitching against one another the final two frames, both Obbema sisters allowed the same two hits and no runs. The two scoreless innings made for a happy set of parents taking in the games rooting for the team in the field in support of their daughters' pitching efforts.
 
HSU will continue its extended home stand next weekend when it plays host to Cal State East Bay starting at 1 p.m. next Friday.