Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Cougar softball had its 10-game winning streak snapped on Sunday, losing a pair of games at local NCAA Division 2 school UC San Diego.  CSUSM lost game one 2-1 and game two 8-3.

CSUSM is now 18-8 this season.  UCSD is 19-9.

Game one was a tightly-played affair that came right down to the end.  UCSD struck first, leading off the game with a pair of singles and eventually plating a run on a sacrifice fly.

But the Cougars and pitcher Brenna Sandberg wouldn't let the game get away from them.  The CSUSM lineup couldn't get much going off Triton starter Tess Granath, who threw four no-hit innings, but the Cougars scratched out a run off reliever Christine Zankich.  Shanti Poston led off the fifth with a single, Mimi Krutein followed with another base hit, Ashley Estepa sacrificed the runners over, and Elizabeth Bush provided the game-tying base hit right back up the middle.

Meanwhile, Sandberg was successfully managing the powerful UCSD lineup.  She went the distance, scattering six hits and two walks to allow just the single earned run.

It would be an unearned run, however, that ended game one.  This season, CSUSM has had a tendency to have one bad defensive inning in many of its games, and it came at a very inopportune time on Sunday.  Sandberg hit the first batter of the seventh, then an error put two on, and another walk loaded the bases with nobody out.  The Cougars were then able to cut runners down at the plate on consecutive plays - but a second infield error allowed the winning run to score to give UCSD the 2-1 win.

Game two would start promising for the Cougars, but once again their defense would betray them.  CSUSM came out strong, with Bush singling to lead off the game and getting to third on a wild pitch.  Alicia Ingram then sliced a single through the right side to score the game's first run, and after an error and a walk to Alyssa Dronenburg, the bases were loaded for Kimi Villalpando.  Villalpando, who has delivered huge with runners in scoring position and two outs this season, did once again, lining a two-run single to put CSUSM up 3-0.

But the lead would be short-lived.  After Sandberg got a quick out, a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out.  Another big infield error let two runs score, and after a walk re-loaded the bases, a costly error in the outfield cleared them to put UCSD up 5-3.

CSUSM's offense would not be able to replicate their first inning success, recording just one hit over the rest of the contest against Triton pitchers Brittany Sheats and Camille Gaito.

UCSD added three runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach.

The Cougars will look to rebound on Tuesday at Hope International.