SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos softball team rebounded from two losses on Saturday with a doubleheader sweep of Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday afternoon at CSUSM Softball Field.

Robyn Alvara's two-run homerun in the bottom of the sixth inning provided the difference in CSUSM's 4-2 victory in game one. In game two, Naomi Amu hit a grandslam and the Cougars rallied in the bottom of the sixth for three runs on their way to a 7-4 win.

Ashley Dagenais (3-2) earned the victory in both games, pitching a complete game in the opener before coming on in relief and earning the win in game two.

Alvara went 3-for-6 on the afternoon with two RBI and two runs scored. Melyssa Bellamy also went 3-for-6 with an RBI, while Caylyn Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with two runs and the go-ahead RBI in the second game.

CSUSM improves to 5-3 on the year. The Cougars will head to the Desert Stinger Classic next weekend in Las Vegas, a competition featuring NCAA Division II institutions.

CSUDH drops to 0-2 to start the year.

Game 1

CSUSM was gifted a run in the bottom of the second. Tayler Ybarra hit a sharp two-out line drive to the shortstop, but Ivy Campbell was unable to glove it. It bounced into the outfield, allowing Alvara to score all the way from second base on the error.

The Toros came threatening in the top of the third after putting runners on first and second with one out. However, Alexandra Mootry hit a chopper directly at Sarah Quiambao at third before the NAIA's assist leader stepped on the bag and threw to first for an inning-ending double play.

Olivia Lucaturto laced a one-out double to left-center to put a duck on the pond for the Cougars in the third. Bellamy followed with a single up the middle that brought home Lucaturto and made it 2-0. The double was Lucatuorto's third of the weekend.

Dagenais was in cruise control until the sixth inning, having gone five frames without allowing a runner past second base. Mootry started the inning off with a sharp hit down the third-base line before Jazmyne Cortinas launched a two-run homer over the left-field fence to tie it, 2-2.

Dagenais then surrendered a one-out walk, but her defense picked her up, as Quiambao started a 5-4-3 double play to end the frame on Ivy Campbell's groundball.

Despite losing the lead, CSUSM answered back in its turn at-bat. Bellamy started the frame with a seeing-eye ground ball before giving way to Breana Reyes on the base path. Naomi Amu moved Reyes over with a ground ball out to the right side.

Alvara then worked a deep count with CSUDH starter Jamie Duran. On a full-count, Alvara hit a high drive over the right-field fence to make it 4-2. It was her first homerun as a Cougar.

Dagenais then sat down the Toros in order to end the game. She struck out two, walked two and allowed six hits over 95 pitches.

Game 2

Amu's grand slam and five innings of no-hit ball from CSUSM starter Katie Wilkinson had the Cougars comfortably in the lead heading into the sixth inning, but the Cougars would need a late rally to prevail in game two.

Rodriguez started the charge with a one-out single in the third inning before Lindsay Cerulle came aboard via an infield single. Lucatuorto walked, loading the bases for the Cougars' clean-up hitter.

Amu, who entered the at-bat a combined 0-for-10 on the weekend, sent Alyssa Valinches' 1-1 pitch deep over the left-field wall for a grand slam that made it 4-0.

Wilkinson struck out the side in the top of the fourth, and it appeared the Cougars would comfortably salt the game away.

Back-to-back errors from Bellamy at short resulted in a run for the Toros in the top of the fifth, making it 4-1.

Then in the sixth, Madison Murphy broke up the no-no with a single to center. Jasmine Ruiz came aboard via an error before Jazmyne Cortinas walked with one out.

Wilkinson was replaced by Dagenais in the circle, and the right-hander immediately got Analisa Nicholson to pop out for the second out of the inning. The third wouldn't come easy.

Kaci McGinnis' two-run single up the middle brought CSUDH within 4-3.

 Dagenais then forced a weak ground ball to second base and it looked like CSUSM would get out of the inning. But, Lucatuorto's toss over to first was directly in the sun, and first baseman Brogan Hoenisch couldn't locate the ball on the throw. It careened to the backstop and Cortinas came around to make it 4-4.

CSUSM didn't take long to respond, though. In the bottom half of the sixth, Quiambao reached via a one-out error and moved to third on Hoenisch's double down the left-field line.

The rally appeared as though it would be dead in the water when Rodriguez chopped a slow ball to short, but the speedster beat the throw to first, which allowed Quiambao to score. The ball ended up getting away from the first baseman, and Hoenisch came around to make it 6-4.

Cerulle then laid down a bunt. Rodriguez took off for third and forced a throw that wound up in the left-field corner. She scored easily to make it 7-4.

The Toros brought the tying run to the plate in their final at-bat, but Cortinas grounded out to Hoenisch at first to end the ball game.

Hoenisch was 2-for-3 in game two.