LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The top-seeded Cal State San Marcos softball team was upset by No. 4-seed Ashford, 5-2, in the Cougars' opening game of the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Conference Championship on Thursday evening at Grizzly Softball Complex on the campus of Georgia Gwinnett College.

Devin Vanderhoff's two-run home run handed CSUSM (33-13) a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning, but AU (26-21) rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth to send the Cougars into the Loser's Bracket.

CSUSM will take on No. 6-seed Kentucky Christian (19-6) in an elimination game on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. PT (1:30 p.m. ET). If the Cougars beat KCU, they will face the winner of No. 5-seed British Columbia and No. 2-seed Houston-Victoria on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. PT (6:30 ET). The Cougars will need to win five straight contests within the tournament in order to take home the conference crown.

Ashley Dagenais (14-8) walked a trio batters in the bottom of the first inning, and the Cougars were somewhat fortunate to escape the frame down just a run.

Sarah Quiambao drew an innocuous two-out walk in the top of the second before Vanderhoff helped CSUSM snag the lead on her third homerun of the season to right-center.

However, aided by a controversial call at first base, AU loaded the bases with no out in the bottom of the fifth. Dagenais gave way to Naomi Amu in the circle, but a wild pitch from Amu allowed a runner to come in and make it 2-2.

The next batter tapped one back to the circle, but a miscommunication in the field allowed the batter to be safe and another run to come in. Brianna De La Rosa then connected with a two-run double to push AU's lead to 5-2

CSUSM got a pair of singles in the sixth but could not push another run across the rest of the way.  

Last season, the Cougars fell in their opening game before rattling off three straight wins to earn a spot in the A.I.I. final, where they lost to LSU Alexandria.