SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The No. 6 Cal State San Marcos softball team (36-8, 25-7 CCAA) concluded its regular-season home schedule with a series split against Cal State Monterey Bay (31-17, 16-16 CCAA), dropping the first game 11-4 before rebounding with an 8-0 shutout in the series finale. Prior to the game, CSUSM honored its three seniors - Nikki Andelin, Kayla Mack and Jamie Ponce. 
 
GAME 1: CSUSM 4 – CSUMB 11
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Paige Donnelly – 2-for-3 | 2 RBIs | 1 R | 1 SB
Ryann Steiner – 2-for-3 | 1 RBI
Bianca Gutierrez – 1-for-3 | 1 R
Nikki Andelin – 1-for-3 | 1 R

HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSM took a 2-0 lead in the first on Donnelly's 2-RBI single that plated Gutierrez and Andelin, who led off with singles.
• CSUMB's Aly Alcayaga began the second inning with a solo home run to left center to make it 2-1. Jessilyn Barrow followed with a bases-clearing triple and scored on Jess Cross' infield single to second to make it 5-2 Otters.
• The Otters put up a four-spot in the third inning, tallying four hits and one error, to make it 9-2.
• Steiner laced an RBI single to right center to plate pinch hitter Madison Waymire who reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the fifth to make it 9-3.
• In the top of the seventh, Barrow knocked out an RBI triple and later scored on Cross' single to make it 11-3.
• The Cougars pushed one more run across on a one-out groundout that plated Donnelly after she led off the inning with a single, making it 11-4.

QUICK HITS

• Jensen Main (20-8) entered the game in relief to collect the win after 5.2 innings in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks.
• CSUSM starter Savannah Coyle (15-3) picked up the loss after giving up seven runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings.

 
GAME 2: CSUSM 8 – CSUMB 0 (5 inn.)
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Zoe Ballen - 5.0 IP | 0 R | 3 H | 1 K
Bianca Gutierrez – 2-for-3 | 2 R | 1 RBI
Nikki Andelin – 2-for-2 | 1 BB | 2 R | 1 RBI
Paige Donnelly – 1-for-1 | 3 RBIs | 1 3B
Morgan Salgado – 1-for-3 | 2 RBIs | 1 R
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSM took a 5-0 lead in the third after racking up four hits and taking advantage of four Otter errors. Anessa Arredondo led off with a single and advanced two bases after Delaney reached on a CSUMB error. Gutierrez drove in Arredondo on a single through the left side, and Prater scored on the CSUMB catcher's throwing error to second. Donnelly's sacrifice fly to left brought Gutierrez home. On the first pitch she saw, Morgan Salgado crushed a two-run homer to left center to make it 5-0 CSUSM.
• The Cougars extended their lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth. Andelin hit an RBI-infield single to second, and Donnelly followed with a 2-RBI triple to the left corner, past a diving right fielder.
• CSUSM starter Ballen forced two pop ups and a fly out to end the game with the mercy run-rule.

QUICK HITS

• Ballen (5-3) registered the win after tossing her first complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits while striking out one.
• CSUMB starter Kassidy Stetler took the loss after 2.1 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks.
• Gutierrez collected her team-best 19th multi-hit game of the season while extending her reached-base streak to 13 games and hitting streak to eight.
• Donnelly registered her 15th multi-RBI game and her second game with three RBIs.
• The Cougars hold a one-game lead for first place in the conference standings over Chico State going into the final regular-season series. 

UP NEXT
The No. 6 Cougars close out the regular season next weekend at Cal Poly Humboldt with a four-game series beginning on Friday, April 29.