IRVINE, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos softball team started its 2022 season with a 5-0 victory over Montana State Billings before falling to Azusa Pacific in 10 hard-fought innings in the Concordia University Irvine Kickoff Classic on Friday.
CSUSM 5 – MSUB 0
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TOP PERFORMERS
Jayline Sloss – 7.0 IP | 6 K | 1 H | 0 R | 5 BB
Nikki Andelin – 2-for-3 | 2 RBIs | 1 3B | 1 2B
Ryann Steiner – 2-for-3 | 1 R | 1 RBI | 1 SB | 1 2B
Mayca Brown – 2-for-2 | 1 R
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Brown got things rolling in the second inning with a two-out single down the right side, and Bianca Gutierrez followed it with a single up the middle. Both runners scored on Andelin's bases-clearing triple off the right center wall. Steiner singled down the left line to plate Andelin and later scored on Ponce's single through the middle to make it 4-0 CSUSM.
- CSUSM's final run came in the bottom of the sixth when Waymire scored on a wild pitch after leading off the inning with a double to right center. Â
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QUICK HITS
- In her collegiate debut, Sloss tossed a one-hit shutout while accumulating six strikeouts and walking five.
- This was CSUSM's eighth season-opening victory in the program's 15 seasons, not counting 2021.
- The Cougars' 11 hits matched their season-opening best performance in their Division II era, tying with the 2019 debut against Cal State San Bernardino.
- With the win, CSUSM is now 3-0 in the all-time series against MSUB.
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APU 7 - CSUSM 6 (10 inn.)
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TOP PERFORMERS
Makenzie Guiliano – 2-for-3 | 1 R | 1 RBI | 1 3B
Bianca Gutierrez – 2-for-4 | 2 RBIs | 2 R | 1 SF
Nikki Andelin – 1-for-4 | 1 RBI
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- APU got on the board first in the opening frame on an RBI double to take a 1-0 lead.
- CSUSM answered with two runs in the third off an Andelin sac fly and a Savannah Coyle RBI single to make it 2-1.
- APU retook the lead in the top of the fifth 4-2 by taking advantage of a CSUSM error and wild pitch.
- Azusa Pacific added to its lead in the sixth on Amanda Wood's RBI single that scored Carly Gay to make it 5-2.
- San Marcos rallied back in the top of the seventh as Gutierrez knocked down a two-RBI single up the middle and later scored on Steiner's sac fly to left field.
- In the top of the eighth, Guiliano crushed a triple off the left center wall to score Marissa Alvarez, who started the inning on second due to the international tiebreaker rule.
- APU would not go away quietly as Izzy Rivera laid down a sac bunt to score Ally Chin from third to even the game at 6-all.
- After a scoreless ninth, APU's Erika Hanson pushed the winning run across the plate on a single to left field.
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QUICK HITS
- The Cougars ended the day with a 1-1 record.
- In her first appearance in the circle as a Cougar, Coyle took the loss after giving up four runs on four hits and striking out two in 5.1 innings. Â
- Zoe Ballen started the game, relinquishing three runs on six hits over four innings of action. Â
UP NEXT
On Saturday, the Cougars will take on Dominican at 2:15 p.m. before facing Western Oregon at 7 p.m.
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