SAN MARCOS, Calif. –The Cal State San Marcos softball team endured a hard-luck day on Senior Day, as the Cougars dropped a pair of extra inning contests to San Francisco State in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action Saturday afternoon at CSUSM Softball Field. The Cougars came up short in the nine-inning doubleheader opener, 5-4, before falling a hard-fought 14-inning battle in the nightcap, 7-5.
 
The Cougars fall to 7-27 overall and 5-21 in conference play, while SF State moves to 19-12, 16-8 in CCAA.
 
Senior Caylyn Rodriguez and junior Lindsay Cerulle led the Cougar offense with three hits apiece for the day. Junior Amanda Horbasch entered in relief in both games to toss 18 innings and striking out seven batters.
 
The Cougars will host Concordia-Irvine in non-conference action on Friday, April 1 at 1 p.m.
 
Game 1: SF State 5 – CSUSM 4
The Gators took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Cougars responded with two-run performances in the bottom of the first and second innings. CSUSM's first two runs came on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Tayler Ybarra. Senior Brogan Hoenisch's 2-RBI single down the left line gave CSUSM a 4-3 lead.
 
After the Gators evened the game in the top of the third, neither team touched home plate until the top of the ninth.
 
SF State's Jennifer Lewis led off the ninth with a double, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Marisa Terrel's single through the left side.
 
Senior Melyssa Bellamy hit a two-out single in the bottom of the frame, but SF State's Megan Clark got the next batter to strikeout. 

Game 2: SF State 7 – CSUSM 5
 
CSUSM struck first in the nightcap when Rodriguez scored after leading off with a double to left center, advanced on Cerulle's single and plated on a Bellamy sacrifice fly.
 
After the Gators tied the game in the top of the second, CSUSM retook the lead in the bottom of the frame.  Rodriguez hit a bases-loaded single to put CSUSM up 3-1.
 
SF State put together a four-run sixth inning on four hits and one CSUSM error to take a 5-3 lead.
 
CSUSM knotted the game at 5-5 with back-to-back bases loaded walks with no outs in the bottom of the seventh. Clark got the next three Cougars to hit into fielder's choices to end the rally.
 
The Cougars scattered six hits in the next five innings but were not able to produce a run.
 
In the 14th inning, SF State's Alexis Mattos hit a bases-loaded double off the center field wall to push two runs across the plate.