SAN FRANCISCO – The Cal State San Marcos softball team (42-21) did exactly what was needed to be done to advance in the NCAA West Regional, taking down second-seeded and host San Francisco State (39-20) twice on Championship Saturday on its own field. The Cougars won by scores of 3-2 and 16-4 (five innings) to punch their ticket to the NCAA Division II West Super Regional which will be hosted by the Cougars next week.
 
GAME 1: CSUSM 3 – SF STATE 2

TOP PERFORMERS
Paige Donnelly – 2-for-4 | 1 R
Makenzie Guiliano – 1-for-3 | 1 R
Delaney Prater – 1-for-4 | 1 RBI
Jillian Albayati – 1-for-3 | 1 RBI

HOW IT HAPPENED

• All the scoring occurred in the third inning with CSUSM jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the frame on RBI singles by Paige Donnelly and Delaney Prater sandwiched by a bases-loaded walk granted to Jillian Albayati.
• The Gators answered with two runs in the bottom of the third, scoring on an RBI double by Daniella Guerrera and an RBI single from Shaunessy Cardwell.

QUICK HITS

• Cougar relief pitcher Jayline Sloss (18-9) earned the win after tossing four shutout innings, giving up five runs and one walk while striking out five batters.  
• SFSU pitcher Elise Roy (13-9) picked up the loss after tossing a complete game, relinquishing three runs on six hits and five walks.  

GAME 2: CSUSM 16 – SF STATE 4

TOP PERFORMERS
Delaney Prater – 3-for-3 | 6 RBIs | 2 R | 1 2B | 1 BB
Madison Waymire – 3-for-3 | 4 R | 1 BB | 1 HBP
Aneesa Arredondo – 3-for-5 | 3 RBIs | 2 R
Paige Donnelly – 2-for-4 | 3 RBIs | 2 R | 1 2B | 1 BB

HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSM pushed two runs across in the top of the first on a Delaney Prater RBI single down the left line and an RBI fielder's choice by Aneesa Arredondo.
• The Gators answered in the bottom of the frame with an RBI groundout by Shaunessy Cardwell and a 3-RBI triple from Kira Nilson to take a 4-2 lead.
• The Cougars wasted no time retaking the lead, scoring five runs in the top of the second inning on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch with Prater at bat and 2-RBI singles by Arredondo and Mackenzie Kestler to make it 7-4.
• The runs kept coming for CSUSM as Prater hit an RBI single to left and Gianna Lombardi knocked out a 2-RBI double to right center to raise CSUSM's lead to 10-4 in the third inning.
• A Paige Donnelly RBI single to left and a bases-loaded walk in the fourth extended CSUSM's lead to 12-4.
• A pair of 2-RBI doubles by Donnelly and Prater closed out CSUSM's scoring at 16-4 in the fifth inning.  

 
QUICK HITS

• CSUSM starting pitcher Savannah Coyle (12-8) went all 5.0 innings for the win, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three.
• SFSU starting pitcher Mari Takeda Bajan (19-7) took the loss after going just 1.2 innings, allowing seven runs on six hits and four walks.
• CSUSM scored in every inning of this game while only giving up runs to the Gators in the opening frame.

UP NEXT
The third-seeded Cougars will host fourth-seeded Western Washington in the NCAA Division II West Super Regional on Thursday, May 15 and Friday, May 16. Times have yet to be determined.