CHICO, Calif. – The No. 25 Cal State San Marcos softball team (25-3, 16-2 CCAA) took sole possession of first place in the CCAA with a doubleheader sweep at No. 11 Chico State on Friday afternoon. Savannah Coyle tossed a complete-game shutout for a 2-0 victory in the series opener before the Cougars' offense exploded in the nightcap, resulting in an 8-2 win.


GAME 1: CSUSM 2 – Chico 0
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Morgan Salgado – 2-for-2 | 1 R
Bianca Gutierrez – 1-for-3 | 1 RBI
Savannah Coyle – 7.0 IP | 3 H | 0 R | 11 K | 0 BB

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cougars took advantage of a Wildcat error in the top of the third inning when Salgado scored after leading off with a single to center field.
• CSUSM made it 2-0 in the fifth inning when Gutierrez sliced an RBI single through the right side to score pinch-runner Klarissa Munoz, who came on after Salgado reached on another single.

 
QUICK HITS

• Cougar starter Savannah Coyle (11-1) struck out career-high and team-best 11 batters to record her first seven-inning shutout victory of the season. She allowed just three hits and no walks in the game.
• Wildcat ace Brooke Larsen picked up the loss after two runs (one earned) on three hits and no walks. She fanned six batters in the contest.
• This is CSUSM's fourth win over a nationally-ranked team since moving to NCAA Division II in 2016. In 2019, the Cougars defeated then-No. 10 UC San Diego, 2-0, and in 2018, they picked up a 10-5 victory at then-No. 15 Sonoma State. CSUSM picked up its first win over a nationally-ranked team with a 5-0 shutout victory over then-No. 13 Chico State in 2017.
   

GAME 2: CSUSM 8 – Chico 2
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Gianna Lombardi – 2-for-4 | 2 RBIs | 1 R
Savannah Coyle – 2-for-4 | 1 RBI | 1 R | 1 SB
Paige Donnelly – 1-for-3 | 2 RBIs | 1 BB
Nikki Andelin – 1-for-4 | 2 R | 2 SB
Aneesa Arredondo – 1-for-2 | 2 RBIs | 1 2B
Makenzie Guiliano – 1-for-2 | 1 R | 1 BB
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Chico State struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Anastacia Alba's RBI single up the middle that plated Nina Revoir, who led off with a single through the right side.
• The Cougars answered in the next frame with three runs on three hits and a Wildcat error. With two outs, Gutierrez singled, Andelin reached on an error and Makenzie Guiliano drew a walk. On the first pitch she saw, Donnelly sliced a 2-RBI double past the Wildcat shortstop to give CSUSM a 2-1 lead. Coyle followed with a Texas Leaguer behind the second baseman that plated Guiliano.
• The Wildcats made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly by Revior in the bottom of the third inning.
• CSUSM's bats came alive in the top of the fifth to make it 8-2 after the Cougars scored five runs on four hits and another Wildcat error. The Cougars scored on a double steal, a 2-RBI single by Lombardi and Arredondo's 2-RBI double.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Cougars sit on top of the CCAA standings with a two-game lead over Chico State and a five-game lead over third-place Cal State Dominguez Hills.  
• CSUSM starter Jayline Sloss (9-1) earned the win after going 5.0 innings, limiting the Wildcats to just two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk while collecting four strikeouts.
• Wildcat starter Katelyn Oldwin (7-3) registered the loss after giving up eight runs (one earned) on 10 hits and four walks.
• This marks CSUSM's first time in the NCAA era that the Cougars have won back-to-back games against a nationally-ranked team.
• With the two wins, CSUSM has closed the gap in the all-time series to 7-11 against the Wildcats.
• This marks the first time in program history that CSUSM has won in Chico, breaking the Wildcat's win streak of six games.
• Gutierrez extended her hit streak to eight games with her two-out single in the third inning that scored CSUSM's first run.
   

UP NEXT
The No. 25 Cougars will close out their series against the No. 11 Wildcats with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. With rain in the forecast, stay up to date on any schedule changes by following @CSUSMSoftball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.