SAN MARCOS, Calif – The No. 13 Cal State San Marcos softball team (7-2, 4-0 CCAA) opened CCAA play with a series sweep over Cal Poly Humboldt (2-10, 0-4 CCAA) on Saturday after registering a pair of 6-0 and 3-2 wins at CSUSM Softball Field.
 
CSUSM 6 – HUMBOLDT 0

TOP PERFORMERS
Aneesa Arredondo – 2-for-3 | 1 HR | 1 2B
Jillian Albayati – 1-for-3 | 1 HR
Mayca Brown – 2-for-2 | 1 R | 1 RBI | 1 SF | 1 SB

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Albayati crushed a two-out, full-count solo home run over the centerfield wall in almost the exact same spot she hit one the day before.
• After reaching base on an error, Donnelly scored on a sacrifice fly by Mayca Brown to put CSUSM up 2-0 in the second inning.  
• Arredondo knocked out a two-run homer to right center to double the Cougars lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning. Guiliano hit an RBI double to right center, stole third and came home on a throwing error by the Jacks' catcher to make it 6-0 CSUSM.
• CSUSM starter Zoe Ballen retired the side in the seventh with a groundout and two fly outs.

QUICK HITS

• Ballen (1-0) tossed a complete-game shutout with four strikeouts and gave up only two hits and three walks.
• Humboldt starter Vanessa Richie (2-3) also went one inning, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits.
• Arredondo's home run was the first of her collegiate career.
• Albayati's home run was her second of the series.  

 
CSUSM 2 – HUMBOLDT 0
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Paige Donnelly – 2-for-3 | 1 R
Delaney Prater – 2-for-2 | 2 RBIs | 1 SAC
Bianca Gutierrez – 1-for-4 | 1 RBI | 1 2B
Jillian Albayati – 1-for-2 | 2 BB
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the bottom of the second, CSUSM took a 1-0 lead on a Prater RBI single up the middle that plated Donnelly after she led off the inning with a single.
• The Jacks took their first lead of the series in the top of the fourth, scoring on a fielder's choice by Annabelle Dixon and on Shelby Shanks' RBI single up the middle to make it 2-1 Humboldt.
• The lead was short lived as the Cougars evened the game at 2-all in the bottom of the fourth on Gutierrez's two-out RBI double to left center that scored Klarissa Munoz.
• The Jacks challenged in the top of the fifth with runners on second and third with no outs. Relief pitcher Savannah Coyle got out of the jam with a flyout and two strike outs.
• Prater hit the game winner with a single through the right side to score pinch-runner Czar Fleischman.

QUICK HITS

• CSUSM starter Jayline Sloss got a no decision after going 4.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits.
• Coyle (3-1) tossed 3.0 shutout innings, giving up three hits while striking out two and walking none.
• Humboldt starter Gaige Garcia (0-2) took the loss after going 6.0 innings, relinquishing three runs (two earned) on eight hits while walking three and striking out three.
• Gutierrez has reached base in all nine games this season.
• Albayati extended her hitting streak to seven games.
• The Cougars have won seven of their last eight meetings against the Jacks.

 

Head Coach Stef Ewing recaps the No. 13 CSUSM's series sweep of ver Cal Poly Humboldt. #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/WCXK9fttTV

— CSUSM Softball (@CSUSMsoftball) February 19, 2023

 
UP NEXT
The Cougars will make their first of four road trips to Northern California next week, traveling to Cal State East Bay for a four-game CCAA series beginning on Friday at 12 p.m.