TURLOCK, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos softball team made its debut in Stanislaus State's Tournament of Champions on Friday, finishing the day with a split. The Cougars dropped the first game, 15-7, to Hawaii Pacific before rebounding with a 6-5 win over Saint Martin's.
 
Junior Rae Camez tallied three hits, two RBIs and a run on the day. Freshman Jaqlyn Newhouser hit her first collegiate home run, finishing the day 2-for-2 with two walks and being hit by a pitch.
 
The Cougars return to Pedretti Sports Complex on Saturday, March 24 when they face Central Washington at 9 a.m. and Holy Names at 11:30 a.m.
 
GAME 1: Hawaii Pacific 15 – CSUSM 7 (6 inn.)
The Cougars struck early with five runs in the first frame highlighted by Newhouser's two-run homer and Janaea Mason's RBI double.
 
The Sharks charged back but the Cougars were able to stay on top after four innings at 7-4.
 
CSUSM's lead disappeared when HPU put together a seven-run fifth inning on five hits and one Cougar error.
 
HPU tallied 16 hits to CSUSM's eight.
 
GAME 2: CSUSM 6 – Saint Martin's 5
The Cougars put up one run in the first, scoring on sophomore Abby Callais' single to left field.
 
CSUSM played small ball in the third, putting together a run on three singles to extend the lead to 2-0.
 
The fifth inning proved to be huge for CSUSM. Sophomore Sara Whelehon lead off with a  single through the right side, stole second and later scored on a SMU error that put senior Karla Bernal on third.  Senior Sara Langdon laid down a bunt single to the pitcher and junior Kat Calderon drew a walk to load the bases. Callais notched a RBI groundout to make it 4-0. Sophomore Karen Roman crushed a bases-clearing double up the middle to push it up to 6-0.
 
The Saints answered in the bottom of the frame with six consecutive singles to push three runs across. Starter Caitlin Vinyard forced two pop ups and a line out to end the rally.
 
SMU threatened in the bottom of the seventh, closing the gap to one run on Tessani Dixon's two-run homer. Vinyard once again came up big, retiring the next three batters to earn the win.