SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The Cal State San Marcos softball team earned its first win of the season with a 3-1 win over Cal State San Bernardino in the first game of a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) doubleheader, Friday at CSUSM Softball Field. The Cougars settled for a split, falling in game two by a final score of 6-4.
The Cougars are now 1-8 overall and 1-5 in conference play. CSUSB is now 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the CCAA.
The two teams will attempt to play a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 18 at noon to conclude the four-game series.
Game One: Cal State San Marcos 3, Cal State San Bernardino 1
Freshman pitcher
Cheyenne Alvarez threw all seven innings, striking out three and did not give up any earned runs as CSUSM defeated CSUSB 3-1.
Alvarez (1-2) earned the win. The Coyotes' Cassandra Williams (4-4) took the loss, giving up three runs with six strikeouts. Senior outfielder
Breanna Stiles went 2-for-2. Junior outfielder
Lindsay Cerulle had one hit and two RBI. Freshman outfielder Sarah Whelehon had two hits and one RBI.
CSUSB scored one in the top of the third with a bases-loaded walk to take a 1-0 lead. The Cougars responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning as Cerulle grounded out, but was able to bring in senior outfielder
Holly Fauria.
CSUSM took the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Cerulle got her second RBI of the game on a double to score freshman infielder
April Perez. The Cougars got an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a one-run single by Whelehon to plate junior
Sara Langdon who was pinch running for freshman infielder
Abby Callais.
Game Two: Cal State San Bernardino 6, Cal State San Marcos 4
CSUSM could not recover from a CSUSB grand slam in the first inning and fell, 6-4.
Whelehon compiled one hit, one run and two RBI. Callais amassed one hit and one RBI. Jessica Brown had all six RBI for the Coyotes with two home runs. CSUSB's Amanda Ramirez (1-1) earned the win in seven innings of work.
The Coyotes scored four in the top of the first with a grand slam from Brown. The Cougars were able to get one in the bottom of the first with Fauria scoring on a Callais ground out. CSUSM cut the gap to two in the bottom of the fourth after another a ground out RBI, this time from Whelehon.
With a runner on first, Brown homered for the second time as CSUSB extended its lead to 6-2 in the top of the seventh.
The Cougars' rally in the seventh inning came up two-runs shy to tie the game. CSUSM was able to make it a 6-4 game thanks to two Coyote errors, but could not produce any more runs.
