IRVINE, Calif. — The Cal State San Marcos softball team (2-0) opened the 2026 season with a dominant pair of victories on Friday at Great Park, defeating Chaminade (0-1) 11-2 in the opener before blanking Hawai'i Pacific (0-2) 8-0 in five innings to close the day at the CUI Kickoff Classic.
CSUSM 11 – Chaminade 2
TOP PERFORMERS
- Jillian Albayati – 4-for-5 | 3 RBIs | 1 run
- Lauren Deplitch – 3-for-3 | 3 runs | 3 SB | 1 HBP
- Zoe Karam – 2-for-5 | 2 2B | 3 RBIs
- Jordan Elias – 3-for-3 | 3 runs | 1 SB
- Marissa Morales – 1-for-4 | 2 RBIs | 1 HBP
- Olivia Rivera – 1-for-3 | 1 2B | 1 RBI
HOW IT HAPPENED
- CSUSM opened the scoring in the second inning when Lauren Deplitch singled and stole second before Sarah Bull delivered an RBI single to right field.
- The Cougars erupted for five runs in the third. Jordan Elias led off with a bunt single, and Marissa Morales was hit by a pitch, setting the table for Jillian Albayati's RBI single. Zoe Karam followed with a two-run double to left, and Olivia Rivera added an RBI double to left center. Bull capped the rally with a sacrifice fly to give CSUSM a 6-0 lead.
- Albayati struck again in the fourth, driving in Elias after another bunt single and stolen base to push the margin to 7-0.
- Chaminade plated two runs in the fifth following a pair of walks and consecutive RBI hits, but CSUSM responded immediately. Albayati singled home Elias in the sixth, and Karam doubled for the second time to extend the lead to 9-2.
- The Cougars closed the scoring in the seventh as Morales lined a two-run single to right center to seal the 11-2 victory.
QUICK HITS
- Winning Pitcher: Hailey Shiftlett (1-0) earned the win in relief, while Jordan Hill struck out six over three scoreless innings in the start, and Madison Cabrera finished with two shutout frames.
- Losing Pitcher: Bailey Benso allowed six runs over three innings.
- Series History: CSUSM improved to 5-0 all-time against Chaminade.
- CSUSM totaled 15 hits and scored in six different innings.
CSUSM 8 – Hawai'i Pacific 0 (5 innings)
TOP PERFORMERS
- Marissa Morales – 3-for-3 | 2 runs | 1 3B
- Jillian Albayati – 1-for-2 | 2 RBIs | 2 runs | 1 BB
- Zoe Karam – 1-for-1 | 1 3B | 2 RBIs | 2 BB
- Czar Fleischman – 1-for-2 | 1 RBI | 1 run
- Angelina Rodriguez – 1-for-3 | 1 RBI
- Jordan Elias – 2-for-3 | 1 RBI
HOW IT HAPPENED
- CSUSM jumped ahead immediately in the first inning. Marissa Morales singled to open the frame and eventually scored on Czar Fleischman's RBI single. Angelina Rodriguez followed with a run-scoring single to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.
- The Cougars doubled the advantage in the second. Morales tripled to left center, and after Jillian Albayati drew a walk, Zoe Karam lined a two-run triple down the right-field line to make it 4-0.
- CSUSM broke the game open with a four-run third inning. Rae D'Amato tripled to start the frame, and Lauren Deplitch drove in a run on a fielder's choice. Jordan Elias followed with an RBI single, and Albayati capped the scoring with a two-run single to right field as the Cougars surged ahead 8-0.
- From there, Delaney Cardenas was in complete control in the circle. Hawai'i Pacific managed just one hit, and CSUSM secured the run-rule victory after five innings.
QUICK HITS
- Winning Pitcher: Delaney Cardenas (1-0) tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing one hit while striking out two.
- Losing Pitcher: An Oseguera (0-1) surrendered eight runs (five earned) in 2.2 innings.
- CSUSM recorded 11 hits, including three triples, and did not commit a strikeout at the plate.
- The Cougars improved to 5-0 all-time against Hawai'i Pacific.
NEXT UP
CSUSM continues play at the CUI Kickoff Classic on Saturday with an 11 a.m. game against Fort Lewis, followed by a 6 p.m. contest against Dominican.
Latest Top News
- No. 14 CSUSM Splits Day Two at CUI Kickoff ClassicThe Cal State San Marcos softball team (3-1) split its Saturday performance at the CUI Kickoff Classic, falling 3-2 in eight innings to Fort Lewis (2-2) before rebounding with a 7-0 shutout victory over Dominican (2-2) at Great Park in Irvine.
- CSUSM Sweeps Doubleheader to Earn Series WinPlaying its first doubleheader of the year, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team (3-0) earned the series win as it won both games against Colorado School of Mines (0-3) on Saturday at Dennis A. Pugh Field. The Cougars earned a 14-7 victory in the first game before taking the series with a come-from-behind 6-5 walk-off win in the nightcap.
- Second-Half Outburst Pushes Bobcats Past CougarsThe Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team (10-9, 7-7 CCAA) fell 80-66 to UC Merced (7-11, 5-9 CCAA) following a second-half outburst by the Bobcats on Saturday afternoon at The Sports Center.
- CSUSM Falls to UC Merced, 83-69The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (7-12, 4-10 CCAA) dropped an 83-69 decision to UC Merced (7-14, 4-10 CCAA) on Saturday afternoon at The Sports Center.
- CSUSM Rolls to 14-3 Season-Opening Win Over MinesThe Cal State San Marcos baseball team (1-0) opened its 2026 campaign with a dominant 14-3 victory over Colorado School of Mines (0-1) on Friday afternoon at Dennis A. Pugh Field. The Cougars exploded for eight runs over the first two innings and never trailed in the wire-to-wire win.
- Cougars Fall to Warriors in Overtime HeartbreakerThe Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team (10-8, 7-6 CCAA) dropped an 83-80 overtime decision to Stanislaus State (9-10, 5-8 CCAA) on Thursday night at The Sports Center.
