Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN MARCOS, Calif.— The Cal State San Marcos softball team was on the verge of heading into Spring Break with only one loss in their previous 25 games after a 2-0 win in the opener, but Hope International knocked off the Cougars 4-0 in the second game Thursday at the CSUSM Softball Field to force a split.

In a pitcher's duel between each team's aces, the Cougars struck first in the third inning after before Kaitlin McGinley smacked a two-out RBI triple that cleared the backtracking left fielder and bounced off the wall to give CSUSM a 1-0 edge.

The Cougars added another run in the sixth inning after Brogan Hoenisch knocked a two-out infield single, pinch runner Breanna Fulton-Stiles stole second base, and Sarah Quiambao brought her home with an RBI double to left.

HIU rallied together to load the bases in the top of the seventh inning with just one out, but Cortney Allen (24-2) closed the door with a groundout to herself and groundout to shortstop to earn her 10th complete game shutout this season.

The Cougars struggled to find hits in game two, recording just three in the game, although they were slightly unfortunate when back to back line drives with a runner on base were snared by third baseman Lauren Ackerson of the Royals in the second inning.

Hope International pieced together a run in the third inning with two hits and an error, but starting pitcher Katie Wilkinson kept the Royals at bay for most of the afternoon until HIU broke through in the sixth inning. After a leadoff single and RBI double, Wilkinson was replaced by game one starter Cortney Allen, but Lauren Ackerson clubbed a two-run homerun to deep left center after fouling a ball off her foot to give the Royals a 4-0 lead.

CSUSM put runners on second and third in the sixth inning after a walk and an error, but were unable to come up with a clutch hit, getting shutout for just the third time this season.

With the series split, CSUSM now stands at 31-5 on the season, and Hope International is 21-15. The Cougars next game is Sunday, April 7 as they travel to Riverside to face A.I.I. conference foe La Sierra.