SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos softball team collected a 5-1 victory in the series finale against Cal State Monterey Bay on Monday afternoon. The Cougars dropped game one, 1-0, at the CSUSM Softball Field.
 
Freshman Janaea Mason led the way with a 2-RBI double to lift CSUSM to victory as she joined four other Cougars with two hits on the day. Junior Skie Munoz earned the win after throwing a complete game, allowing one run on six hits and striking out two.
 
"I am happy that we finished the series strong," said head coach Laurie Nevarez. "I think the one area we improved and were steady these last two days was in the circle. Skie showed up both days and Caitlin (Vinyard) came back really strong today. This is the performance that we expect out of them. I think Skie has found her rhythm."
 
The Cougars host Biola in a nonconference doubleheader on Tuesday, March 20 at 1 p.m.
 
GAME 1: CSUMB 1 – CSUSM 0
It was a true pitching duel between Caitlin Vinyard and CSUMB's Hayley Fein in the doubleheader opener. Vinyard scattered eight hits and walked one in her seven innings in the circle.
 
The Otters scored the winning run in the top of the seventh on Joanna Perruccio's two-out RBI single up the middle, plating Alyssa Burt who reached on a leadoff infield single.
 
GAME 2: CSUSM 5 – CSUMB 1
CSUMB struck first with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Cougars answered in the bottom of the fourth on sophomore pinch hitter Melody Forstie's sac fly with the bases loaded to even the game at 1-1.  
 
After Abby Callais drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, freshman Jaqlyn Newhouser and junior Rae Camez hit back-to-back singles to once again load the bases. Mason crushed a 2-RBI double off the left field wall to put CSUSM up 3-1. Freshman Kammy Fisher laid down a squeeze play on the first base line and avoided the ball with a leap as Camez slid home to make it 4-1.
 
CSUSM added an insurance run in the fifth on a Callais RBI single down the right line.