SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos softball team snapped its scoreless streak, but could not pull off a victory as No. 4 Humboldt State pulled off a four-game sweep of the Cougars, 4-0 and 5-1, in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play on Saturday afternoon at CSUSM Softball Field.
The Cougars drop to 4-16 overall and 2-10 in CCAA play and extend their losing streak to nine games.
HSU improves to 11-1-1 overall and moves its unbeaten conference record to 8-0.
Holly Fauria was 4-for-5 on the day with a run scored for CSUSM.
CSUSM travels to Chico State next week.
Game 1Fauria went 2-for-3 and the Cougars totaled seven hits, one less than their entire Friday total, but once again CSUSM could not push one across against the Lumberjacks.
Julie Pena got the scoring started for HSU in the top of the first with a two-run homerun over the left field fence.
Caylyn Rodriguez and
Holly Fauria led off with singles in the Cougar half of the first, but Katie Obbema (5-1) retired the next three batters in order to get out of the frame unscathed.
Tiffany Hollingsworth's RBI single to right made it 3-0 in the third.
Breonna Bejaran sent a no-doubt-about-it dinger to left-center in the fourth.
Amanda Horbasch (3-8) allowed eight hits while striking out three over seven innings.
Game 2The Cougars led through the first four innings, but HSU tied it in the fifth before rallying for four two-out runs in the top of the sixth en route to the series sweep.
The Cougars snapped a 25-inning scoreless streak and notched their first run of the series in the top of the first.
After an infield single from Fauria,
Melyssa Bellamy hit a hard line drive to left. HSU left-fielder Winona Vigil dove to try and catch it, but it bounced in front of her glove and rolled to the fence. Fauria came all the way around from first and Bellamy settled in for an RBI triple.
Vigil would redeem herself for her outfield misplay when she came to bat in the top of the fifth. Her two-out RBI double to left-center scored Halle Williams to pull the Jacks even, 1-1.
Rodriguez sent a one-out double to the fence in right center for the Cougars in the bottom of the fifth. Fauria followed with a high chopper to short and would have beat Cyndi Chavez's throw easily, so the HSU shortstop decided to throw behind Rodriguez at second. The move paid off, as Rodriguez was caught too far off the base for the second out of the frame.
The move was magnified when Bellamy followed up with a single up the middle.
Robyn Alvara came up with runners on first and second, but Madison Williams (6-0) made a nice defensive play on another chopper to get out of the inning.
HSU put runner on second and third with two out in the top of the sixth. Darian Harris sent a line-drive to the right-centerfield gap that looked like it would drop easily, but CSUSM rightfielder
Lindsay Cerulle dashed into the opening. Cerulle dove to try and make the sliding catch only to have the ball glance off the tip of her glove.
Both runners scored and the Jacks went ahead 3-1.
Sydney Roberts and Vigil followed with RBI singles in the frame to push the Jacks' lead to four.
Ashley Dagenais (1-8) allowed just one hit through her first four innings, but finished with five earned runs given up on seven hits. She struck out to and walked a pair.
Bellamy went 2-for-3.
