Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  The #8-ranked Cal State San Marcos softball team closed out its five-game run at the Best of the West Invitational on Sunday, splitting to close out the tournament with a 4-1 record.

Overall, CSUSM is now 5-1 on the year.

In the Cougars' first game of the day, CSUSM combined timely hitting with strong pitching to earn the 5-1 win over San Francisco State.  Alicia Ingram got things going in the first, leading off with a single, stealing second, and coming home to score on an Alyssa Dronenburg double.

CSUSM added another in the third on a Jalisa McCarvel RBI single that scored Kaitlin McGinley, then struck for two in the fifth.  Dronenburg led off with a base hit and stole second, Theresa Houle drew a walk, and after a fielder's choice, Shanti Poston drove an RBI single up the middle, with a second run scoring on the throw.

Meanwhile, pitcher Brenna Sandberg was in her usual form on the mound, even after pitching two games yesterday.  Sandberg cruised through five innings, walking none and striking out seven.  The only blemish on her record was a fourth inning solo home run.  Kristin Jaeger tossed two scoreless innings to close out the contest.

Unfortunately, the Cougars would be halted in their tracks in their final game of the tournament, as reigning CCAA Conference Champion Sonoma State defeated CSUSM 8-0 in five innings.

Fatigue may have gotten to Sandberg, who couldn't make it out of the third inning, allowing three runs.  Meanwhile, Sonoma's Samantha Lipperd shut down the Cougar lineup, going all five innings and striking out nine.  A bright spot was Alex Miller, who finished off an excellent run at the tournament by going 2-for-2.

The Cougars will next pack their bags for Hawaii, where they'll face defending NCAA Division II national champion Hawaii Pacific on Wednesday.