Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Competing at Cal Baptist's So-Cal Smash Tournament, Cal State San Marcos softball defeated Holy Names in the morning 8-2, but fell to the host school 12-1 in the afternoon.

#20 CSUSM is now 6-4 on the season.  HNU drops to 2-3, while #1-ranked Cal Baptist improves to 12-0.

Against Holy Names, the Cougars found themselves in an early 2-0 hole, but thanks largely to Alyssa Dronenburg's hitting and Brenna Sandberg's pitching, CSUSM ended up winning comfortably.

Down 2-0 in the third, Ciera Ashman knocked a two-out double, and Dronenburg brought her home with a base hit.  Lauren Nelson then traded places with her, drilling an RBI double of her own to tie the game 2-2.

The Cougars took control of the game in the fourth, once again starting their rally with two outs and nobody on.  Alicia Ingram started it with a bunt single, got to second, and was driven home with a base hit from Bush.  Ashman followed that up with an RBI double, and Dronenburg crushed a two-run homer to make it 6-2.

Dronenburg wasn't done, however, drilling another two-run shot in her very next at-bat.  She now has a team-leading five long balls this season.

For Sandberg's part, she allowed just one earned run on three hits, going the full 7 innings to pick up the win.

Game two would not go as well. 

The top team in the NAIA, Cal Baptist proved too powerful for the Cougars.   The Lancers jumped out to a commanding 6-0 first inning lead, thanks in part to a devastating error that led to three unearned runs and chased Ashman, who started the game on the mound.

CSUSM's lone run came in the third inning, with Nelson doubling home Ingram.  Otherwise, Cal Baptist starter Emma Holden was in control, striking out ten and allowing just four hits.  Lancer slugger Caty Reeves led the offense, going 3-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI.

The 20^th-ranked Cougars will be back in action against these teams at the So-Cal Smash tomorrow.  They'll play Cal Baptist at noon, and finish up with Holy Names at 5:00 PM.