IRVINE, Calif. – The No. 2-seed Cal State San Marcos softball team has its back against the wall after a 9-1 (6 innings) loss to No. 3-seed Dickinson State (N.D.) in the first game of the NAIA Opening Round on Monday at Eagles Field on the campus of Concordia (Calif.).
CSUSM (34-15) now goes into the Loser's Bracket to face the loser of No. 1-seed and host Concordia on Tuesday at 1 p.m. CUI was upset in its opening game by No. 4-seed Madonna (Mich.), 4-3.
If the Cougars are able to beat Concordia, they will play another elimination game against the loser of Madonna-Dickinson State on Tuesday evening for an opportunity to advance to Wednesday's championship round.
CSUSM and CUI split a doubleheader earlier this season in Irvine on
Mar. 31.
DSU (41-10) starter Regan Lawrence (24-5) limited the Cougars to just one hit on the afternoon, an RBI single by
Naomi Amu in the top of the first. It marked the first time this season that CSUSM did not register multiple hits in a game.
Lawrence finished the day with seven strikeouts and four walks on 93 pitches.
CSUSM starter
Ashley Dagenais (14-9) opened the bottom of the first with two easy outs, but got into some trouble after back-to-back two-out base hits by the Blue Hawks. After an illegal pitch on a 3-2 count loaded the bases, Dagenais drew a slow chopper to short by Lawrence, but Lawrence beat the throw to first to push a run across and make it 1-1.
Brianna Grayson followed with a bases-clearing double to the gap in left-center that made it 4-1 in favor of the Blue Hawks.
A simple DSU sacrifice bunt turned into another run for the Blue Hawks in the second, as
Brogan Hoenisch's throw to catch the batter at first was wide of the bag, allowing McKenzie Kenobbie to come across and make it 5-1.
Meanwhile, the Cougars struggled to take advantage of free bases.
Karla Bernal, Amu and
Melyssa Bellamy all registered lead-off walks in each of the third-, fourth- and fifth innings, but the Cougars could not muster a hit behind them.
Dagenais' day in the circle was done after 3 1/3 innings, six runs, five earned and five walks when Alex Vargas laced an RBI double off the wall.
Katie Wilkinson took over and drew a 6-2-3 double-play to escape the fourth.
Leading 7-1, DSU catcher Claudia Torres ended the day early with a walk-off, two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the sixth.
Two fielding errors by CSUSM led to a pair of unearned runs in the contest.
