SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos softball team split its California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tuesday doubleheader against UC San Diego, first taking down the Tritons 2-1 before falling 4-3 in the second game.

The Cougars move to 10-30 overall and 7-23 in CCAA competition. The Tritons are now 29-17 overall and 19-13 in CCAA play.

CSUSM and UCSD will wrap up their four-game series next Wednesday, April 20, at 1 p.m. at CSUSM Softball Field.

Game 1
A two-out, two-run double by Melyssa Bellamy and another gem from starter Ashley Dagenais handed the Cougars a 2-1 victory in the opening game.

Dagenais (6-12) allowed five hits, struck out a pair and walked one en route to her third straight complete-game victory as a starter.

Karla Bernal kicked off the bottom of the third with a walk before Holly Fauria came aboard with an infield single. A one-out sacrifice bunt from Lindsay Cerulle moved the runners to second and third.

Bellamy then doubled to left center to drive home Fauria and Langdon and put the Cougars in the lead, 2-0.

Taylor Abeyta's two-out RBI single made it 2-1 in the fifth. The Tritons were in business with runners on first and third, but Dagenais sat down Maddy Lewis looking to escape the frame still in the lead.

The first Triton batter of the seventh came aboard due to a hit-by-pitch and the Tritons attempted to move her to second on a sac bunt. However, CSUSM third baseman Rylee Johnson made a heads-up play on Emily Sklencar's bunt, whipping the ball to second base to get the lead runner for the first out of the inning.

UCSD then got a runner on third base after Kelsi Maday stole second and took third on an errant throw. But once again, Dagenais was able to work out of it, forcing Abeyta to line out to Cerulle in left to end the game.

Amanda Horbasch was 2-for-3 in the game.

Game 2
A dubious decision at the plate to end game two will be the lasting memory for the Cougars.

Following an RBI groundout from Bellamy that pulled the Cougars within 4-3, Robyn Alvara sent a two-out single into left field. The speedy Cerulle rounded third and appeared slide under catcher Lauren Sanders' tag at the plate, but Cerulle was called out to end the game.

An RBI double from Horbasch and a run from Alvara on a wild pitch handed the Cougars a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.

However, the Tritons answered with a two-run single from Abeyta to retake the lead 3-2 in the second.

Horbasch (4-18), CSUSM's starter, did well to keep the score line steady, escaping jams with runners in scoring position in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings.

A sacrifice fly from Lewis made it 4-2 UCSD in the sixth.

Horbasch struck out five and allowed 11 hits on the afternoon.