TURLOCK, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos softball team clinched a 6-5 win over Holy Names after a three-hour rain delay in Saturday's Tournament of Champions nightcap. The Cougars' late rally in their earlier game against Central Washington fell short at 7-6.
 
Senior Karla Bernal had a 4-for-6 performance on Saturday with five runs. Sophomore Karen Roman tallied three hits while junior Rae Camez recorded three RBIs on the day.
 
The Cougars will close out the tournament against Academy of Art at 9 a.m. and Chaminade at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 25.
 
GAME 1: Central Washington 7 – CSUSM 6
The Cougars found themselves down 7-2 to the Wildcats after two innings of play.
 
Senior Sara Langdon knocked a RBI single down the left line to make it 7-3 in the fourth.
 
CSUSM put together a sixth inning rally, scoring three runs on five singles. Bernal and Roman began the inning with singles through the left side. A double steal moved both runners into scoring position. Junior Kat Calderon pushed the ball up the middle and senior Lindsay Cerulle followed with a single through the left side to plate two runs. A Camez RBI single to the pitcher made it a one run game at 7-6.
 
The Wildcats had to go to their ace in the top of the seventh who retired the side to clinch the win.
 
GAME 2: CSUSM 6 – Holy Names 5
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead on a HNU error in the second inning.
 
The Hawks answered in the next frame with three runs on three hits and a CSUSM error.
 
In the bottom of the third, CSUSM cut HNU's lead to 3-2 on junior Kammy Fisher's RBI single into left center.
 
HNU was able to tack on another run in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the frame, CSUSM drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-3 with two outs before the game was halted due to lightening. After a three-hour delay, sophomore Abby Callais was hit by a pitch and Fisher drew a walk to push two more runs across and give CSUSM a 5-4 lead.
 
The Cougars got what would prove to be a must-needed insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, taking advantage of HNU's second error of the game to give CSUSM a 6-4 lead.
 
The Hawks nabbed another run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh before sophomore Sara Whelehon made a fully-extended catch that prevented a game-tying run and ended the game at 6-5 CSUSM.