CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Making its first NCAA Division II Softball Championship Finals appearance, the Cal State San Marcos softball team (32-20) fell 5-1 to top-seeded No. 3 UT Tyler (60-4) on Thursday at Jim Frost Stadium.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Mackenzie Kestler – 2-for-3 | 1 RBI
Makenzie Guiliano – 2-for-3 | 1 R
Savannah Coyle – 2.0 IP | 1 K | 1 H | 1 BB | 0 R
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After Guiliano earned an infield single to start the game and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Kestler put an RBI single down the right field line to score Guiliano and give the Cougars an early 1-0 lead.
• The Patriots took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Sam Schott tied the game with a two-out solo shot over the left field wall. After a Courtney Plocheck double, Michelle Arias put an RBI single up the middle to put UT Tyler ahead.
• UT Tyler led off the bottom of the fifth with a triple to right by JT Smith before an infield double by Schott put two runners in scoring position. Plocheck then put a two-run, ground-rule double to right center to give the Patriots a 4-1 lead. After a groundout allowed Plocheck to advance, she scored on a RBI single up the middle by Avery Farr to put UT Tyler up 5-1.

 
QUICK HITS

• UTT starter Tatum Goff (40-0) earned the win with five strikeouts while allowing one run on seven hits.
• CSUSM starter Jayline Sloss (11-8) took the loss as she struck out four while allowing five earned runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings.
• Kestler improved her hitting streak to eight games, and it was her eighth game with multiple hits.
• Kestler also extended her reached-base streak to 18 games.
• This was the first-ever meeting between the Cougars and Patriots.

 


UP NEXT
The Cougars will return to action in an elimination game against fourth-seeded Wilmington on Saturday at 8 a.m. (PT)