April 21, 2010

Story courtesy of Cal State San Marcos Sports Information

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Ciera Ashman and Lauren Nelson's six combined RBI helped No. 13 Cal State San Marcos overcome a 6-5 (10 innings) loss in the first game, but roared back for a 7-4 win in the second game Tuesday to hand top-ranked California Baptist just its second loss of the season. With the win, the Cougars climb to 33-13. The 33 wins are the most in the program's four-year history. California Baptist's record stands at 52.2.

Tuesday's games played out much differently than at the So-Cal Smash Tournament in February, where the Lancers won in convincing fashion, 12-1 and 7-3.

This time around, the Cougar lineup served immediate notice that they were ready to play, pounding three home runs in the first three innings of the first game. A three-run bomb by Erica Coelho in the second, followed by back-to-back shots by Ashman and Alyssa Dronenburg in the third gave CSUSM an early 5-1 lead.

The Lancers struck back quickly, as Caty Reeves's two-run home run in the bottom of the third helped close the gap to 5-4.

In the fifth, a costly two-out error allowed the tying run to score off Cougar starting pitcher and NAIA wins leader Brenna Sandber. Sandber went on to throw 9 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs while striking out nine.

The game would proceed into extra innings, as Sandberg matched scoreless frames with CBU's Tory Ferreira, who entered in the third in relief and tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-hit ball.

Even with the international tiebreaker in effect, both pitchers were able to escape the eighth and the ninth innings without any damage. Briana Corral finally ended it with a one-out single in the 10th that scored California Baptist's Ashley Boyd. Coming off that emotional loss and a rain delay that pushed the start of game two until after 9 p.m., CSUSM showed little sign of wearing down. On the contrary, the team proved its resilience, bouncing back from an early deficit.

After Ashman's second home run of the day put CSUSM up 1-0 in the top of the first inning, California Baptist tied it in the bottom of the frame and took a 4-1 lead the following inning on a three-run home run by Boyd.

Despite the deficit, the Cougar offense would not let up, and a clutch two-out two-RBI single by Nelson cut the gap to 4-3 in the third.

With two on and two out in the fourth, Ferreira was called in again for CBU starter Melanie Ahumada. Ferreira struck out Alicia Ingram on a ball in the dirt, but the speedy Ingram took first base and Mimi Krutein came in to score the tying run from third. Ashman would then continue her huge day, capitalizing on the extra opportunity by ripping a two-RBI double that put the Cougars up 6-4.

Sandberg, who pitched every inning of both games for the Cougars, did not allow a California Baptist runner to get into scoring position in the games final three innings. After Nelson singled home an insurance run in the seventh to make it 7-4, Sandberg went three up and three down in the bottom of the inning to close out the upset.

Sandberg improved to 31-10, allowing four runs in seven innings of work and striking out seven.

This is the third straight year that CSUSM has taken a game from the Lancers, who have been ranked No. 1 on all three occasions.

CSUSM will play its final regular season games at home against Hope International (Calif.) on Saturday.