LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — The No. 14 Cal State San Marcos softball team (8-1) picked up two wins Saturday on day two of the D2 West Coast Challenge, edging Northwest Nazarene (7-4) 3-2 in the opener before pulling away from Colorado Mesa (1-5) for an 11-2 victory in the nightcap.

GAME ONE: CSUSM 3 – NORTHWEST NAZARENE 2

TOP PERFORMERS
Jillian Albayati — 2-for-3 | 1 2B | 1 RBI
Zoe Karam — 1-for-3 | 1 RBI
Lauren Deplitch — 2-for-3 | 1 R
Dani Cardenas — 6.0 IP | 8 H | 2 R | 1 ER | 1 BB | 5 SO
Jordan Hill — 1.0 IP | 0 H | 0 R | 1 SO | SV

HOW IT HAPPENED

• NNU broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning after an error and a walk set up Emma Bumatay's RBI single to left field, giving the Nighthawks a 1-0 lead.
• CSUSM answered in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run rally. With the bases loaded, Marissa Morales was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run. Jillian Albayati followed with an RBI single to left, and Zoe Karam lined a single to right to score Jordan Elias and put CSUSM ahead, 3-1.
• NNU closed within one run in the sixth on Lola Crosby's RBI single, but the Cougars cut down the potential tying run at third base.
• Jordan Hill worked a clean seventh inning, striking out one to earn the save.

QUICK FACTS

• CSUSM's Dani Cardenas picked up the win after allowing one earned run over six innings with five strikeouts.
• NNU's Miah Lusk took the loss after giving up three runs in 4.1 innings.
• Jordan Hill retired the side in order in the seventh to earn her first save as a Cougar.
• Albayati and Karam delivered back-to-back RBI singles in the decisive fifth inning.
• CSUSM leads the all-time series Northwest Nazarene 4-1.

GAME TWO: CSUSM 11 – COLORADO MESA 2

TOP PERFORMERS
Czar Fleischman — 3-for-4 | 1 3B | 2 HR | 5 RBIs | 3 R
Zoe Karam — 2-for-3 | 1 HR | 1 RBI | 3 R
Madilyn Novello — 2-for-2 | 1 RBI
Kaila Siu — 2-for-3 | 1 R | 1 SB
Hailey Shiflett — 4.0 IP | 5 H | 1 R | 0 ER | 1 BB | 4 SO

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Colorado Mesa struck first in the third inning on a sacrifice fly, but the Cougars answered immediately in the fourth. Zoe Karam launched a solo home run to center, followed by a solo homer from Czar Fleischman to give CSUSM a 2-1 lead.
• The Cougars broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning. After Jillian Albayati doubled, Karam singled to set the table. Fleischman ripped a two-run triple to right-center, and Madilyn Novello followed with an RBI single. Olivia Rivera later reached on a hit, and a sacrifice fly from Malaia Huskey capped the inning.
• CSUSM added three more runs in the seventh. Rae D'Amato delivered an RBI single before Fleischman crushed her second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left-center.
• Hailey Shiflett worked four strong innings in relief, allowing just one unearned run to secure the victory.

QUICK FACTS

• Hailey Shiflett collected the win in relief after striking out four over four innings.
• Sara Tassinari recorded the loss after allowing five runs in 5.1 innings.
• Fleischman finished a double shy of the cycle with five RBIs.
• CSUSM tallied 14 hits and scored in four different innings.
• This was the first meeting in program history between these two teams.

UP NEXT
The Cougars return home on Friday, Feb. 13, for their season opener, a non-conference series against Biola with a noon doubleheader at CSUSM Softball Field.