Box Score Box Score
Cal State San Marcos' run at the 2011 NAIA Softball National Championship came to an end on Tuesday, as the Cougars were bounced from the tournament by Belhaven University (Miss.) 1-0.
The Cougars finish in fourth place at the National Championships with a program-best 45-11 record for the season, marking the best finish in the program's five-year history. Belhaven improves to 50-11.
While all season-ending losses are painful, this one will be an especially tough pill to swallow for Coach Dave Williams and his team.
The pitching match-up was among the most fascinating of the tournament, as it pitted two of the only pitchers in the nation who throw the vast majority of innings for their teams: CSUSM's Brenna Sandberg (41-10), and Belhaven's Sarah Burns (40-9). Both were in top form on the day.
CSUSM threatened Burns early by putting two runners on in each of the first two innings, but a pair of popped up sacrifice bunts derailed both rallies. Instead, it would be Belhaven who got on the board first, taking advantage of a defensive miscue in the second inning. With two outs and a runner on first, what should have been a routine groundout turned costly when the throw was dropped. The extended the inning, allowing Lizzy Hess to line an RBI single to left.
The Cougars got the leadoff runner on in the fourth – the third time in four innings to that point – but a sharply-hit line drive by Heavin-Lee Rodriguez found the glove of third baseman Annalee Carr, who fired back to first to double the runner off.
In the fifth, Kimi Villalpando drew a one-out walk and Kaitlin McGinley lined a single and stole second, giving the Cougars two runners in scoring position with just one out. But once again nothing would come of it, as Burns struck out Derrisha Lacey and Alicia Ingram to close out the inning.
The Cougars got another runner on in the sixth, but Belhaven turned its third double play of the contest to close out the frame.
There would be no such drama in the seventh. Shanti Poston flied out deep to left, Kimi Villalpando struck out, and McGinley grounded out to Kaitlin McGinley grounded out to shortstop to end the game and the season for Cal State San Marcos.
For a pitcher, there are tough luck losses, and then there's the loss Sandberg took in the final start of her Cougar career. The All-American, who threw every inning of the team's 7 games at Nationals (46 IP total), allowed 0 earned runs on 3 hits in 6 innings of work. She struck out 2 and walked 2. Sandberg finishes the season with an NAIA-best 41-10 record and finishes her amazing career holding every major pitching record in the history of Cal State San Marcos softball.
The game is also the last for Shanti Poston, the squad's four-year starter at shortstop, and Kimi Villalpando, who has been brilliant behind the plate as the team's starting catcher.
Belhaven will face off against #1 California Baptist this afternoon for the right to play Oregon Tech in the NAIA National Championship Game on Wednesday. All games are being played at Gulf Shores Sportsplex in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
