CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Cal State San Marcos softball team (33-21) battled to the very end as it won 3-1 in its first elimination game of the day against fourth-seeded No. 24 Wilmington (Del.) (44-16) before seeing its 2023 season close with a 10-6 loss to second-seeded No. 4 Central Oklahoma (54-8) later in the afternoon at the 2023 NCAA Division II Softball Championship Finals on Saturday at Jim Frost Stadium.
 
GAME 1: CSUSM 3, WILMU 2
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Makenzie Guiliano – 1-for-3 | 1 RBI
Savannah Coyle – 7.0 IP | 4 K | 2 R | 1 ER | 4 H
Aneesa Arredondo – 1-for-2 | 1 R | 1 BB
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Wilmington went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning as Lexi Moore scored from second on a CSUSM fielding error on a would-be, inning-ending pop fly.
• CSUSM took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. A bases-loaded walk by Ryann Steiner knotted the game at 1-1 before an RBI fielder's choice by Guiliano scored Arredondo and a Wilmington throwing error to first scored Steiner.
• The Wildcats earned a run back in the top of the fifth with a two-out RBI double to right by Taylor Gillis to cut the Cougars' lead to 3-2.

 
QUICK HITS

• CSUSM starter Savannah Coyle (16-7) earned the win in the complete-game effort as she struck out four while giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits.
• Wilmington starter Kylee Gunkel (23-7) took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks while going 3.0 innings.
• The Cougars' victory eliminated the Wildcats from the tournament.
• The win was head coach Stef Ewing's 99th career win – all at CSUSM.
• This was the Cougars' first win at the NCAA Championship's final site.
• Mackenzie Kestler improved her hitting streak to nine games, tying for the second longest on the team this season. She also extended her reached-base streak to 19 games, which is also the second longest.
• This was the first-ever meeting between the Cougars and Wildcats.
• The Cougars notched their sixth win of the season over an NFCA Top 25 team.

GAME 2: CSUSM 6, UCO 10
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Makenzie Guiliano – 3-for-4 | 1 RBI
Bianca Gutierrez – 2-for-3 | 2 R | 1 RBI
Czar Fleischman – 0-for-2 | 2 RBI | 1 SF | 1 R
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UCO got out to a 5-0 start in the top of the second inning as all five scored with two outs. A hit-by-pitch with bases loaded scored Terin Ritz before an RBI single by Rylee Lemos back to CSUSM pitcher Jayline Sloss plated Shayleigh Odom. Emily Deramus then cleared the bases with a three-run double to right.
• The Cougars got on the board in the bottom of the third with an RBI groundout to second to score Fleischman and cut the deficit to 5-1.
• The Bronchos went back up by five with an RBI single to short by Mikayla Rutland as Odom came around to score and make it 6-1.
• CSUSM erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fourth. A bases-loaded RBI single up the middle by Gutierrez scored Madison Waymire before a bases-loaded walk by Ryann Steiner plated Sammie Olivo. An RBI fielder's choice by Fleischman scored Aneesa Arredondo before an RBI single up the middle by Guiliano allowed Gutierrez to score and make it 6-5.
• UCO added three more runs in the top of the fifth with a two-run single to right center by Odom and an RBI single to center by Rutland to make it 9-5.
• After a Gutierrez single and a two-base throwing error that put her on third to begin the bottom of the sixth inning, she scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Fleischman to cut the deficit to 9-6.
• The Bronchos tacked on one more in the top of the seventh as an RBI triple to center by Lemos made it a 10-6 game.
• After Mackenzie Kestler got on base with a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, a strikeout and a line out that turned into a double play ended the Cougars' season.

 
QUICK HITS

• Broncho reliever Jordyn Pipkin (20-4) earned the win after striking out two and allowing one unearned run on three hits in 3.2 innings.
• Cougar starter Jayline Sloss (11-9) took the loss as she allowed six earned runs on six hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out two in 4.0 innings.
• This was CSUSM's first loss of the season when scoring six runs or more.
• The Cougars allowed their most runs in a game since falling 14-4 against Montana State Billings in their opening weekend.
• Gutierrez notched her 15th multi-hit game of the season to tie for the team lead. It was her 13th two-hit game – the most on the team.
• Kestler ended her season by tying for the longest hitting streak at 10 games while extending her reached-base streak to 20 games.
• This was the first-ever meeting between the Cougars and Bronchos.