Seawolves Win, Coyotes Take Two to Upend Bracket on Day 1
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SEASIDE, Calif. – Cal State San Bernardino has put the tournament field on notice – seeds don't matter. The last team to enter the field with their postseason fate undetermined until the final out of the regular-season was recorded, the No. 6 seeded Coyotes notched two wins on the first day of the 2019 CCAA Softball Tournament from Otter Sports Complex.
The bats were big with a handful of women notching multiple-hit games as the Coyotes tallied 25 hits and brought home 16 to highlight the first day of postseason play. For their efforts, Cal State San Bernardino can now enjoy a day of rest, advancing to the mid-day game on Saturday.
Friday's contests will feature the No. 1 seed UC San Diego Tritons taking the field for the first time, facing off against Game 2 winner Sonoma State. Then two elimination games will follow as Cal State Monterey Bay and Chico State tussle at 2:30 p.m., followed by San Francisco State and the team to fall in the day's first game.
All of the Friday contests will be televised live on Eleven Sports USA , an award-winning global sports provider delivering world-class international and domestic sports and lifestyle entertainment to dedicated fans everywhere and available in 55 million homes. Watch on DIRECTV (channel 623), AT&T U-verse (channel 1665), or Verizon Fios (channel 597), or tune into the streaming broadcast available on the
CCAA's Tournament Central page.
| Game 1: No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino 9, No. 3 San Francisco State 3 |
Box Score |
CSUSB postgame
Tied heading into the fifth inning, No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino hung a six on the scoreboard to ease to victory over No. 3 San Francisco State, stunning the Gators out of the gate.
The Coyotes went up 1-0 in the first on Haley Finn's RBI double to right. San Bernardino looked to extend their lead as they had runners on second and third with no outs, but Sydney Kreimann lined out to San Francisco State's Lehua DeLeon, who doubled up the runner at second and then fired home to Sydney Jenkins who applied the tag to get the impressive triple play and null the threat.
In the third, Coyote Jamiana Gateb hit a solo shot in the third to widen the lead, but San Francisco State got on the board in the bottom of the frame. CCAA Freshman of the Year Brylynn Vallejos doubled to left and Hayley Nunes plater her with a double of her own to right-center to set the score at 2-1.
Cal State San Bernardino produced another run in the fourth, but San Francisco State was able to answer with a pair to leave the game tied heading into the fifth. Then one swing of the bat broke it open.
The Coyotes loaded the bases to start the inning before Finn stepped to the plate to blast a grand slam and put the score at 7-3. San Francisco State responded with a pitching change, but Cal State San Bernardino was able to take on two more in the inning, en route to what would be the final 9-3 score.
"We feel loose and have nothing to lose," Gateb said after the game. "We have beat every team here at some point this season, so no reason why we can't now," Finn added.
| Game 2: No. 4 Sonoma State 5, No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay 3 |
Box Score |
SSU postgame |
CSUMB postgame
No. 5 seed and tournament host Cal State Monterey Bay jumped to an early 3–0 lead in the game, taking advantage of a pair of hit batters, an error, and a Lusi Stanley single to score three runs in the second inning and open the scoring. An early pitching change for the Seawolves occurred after the first two runs had crossed as Teresa Danenberg replaced Brielle Vidmar, a move that stymied the Otter bats for the remainder of the game.
No. 4 Sonoma State got one back in the bottom of the second, after Courtney Jack knocked a double down the right-field line to score Cassidy Romano. In the fifth, the Seawolves strung four hits together to score three runs and take a 4-3 lead.
The Seawolves at-bat began with three singles, Lindsey Calcany Blair singled up the middle to plate Nicole Renner. Alee Balanon hit a sacrifice fly ball down the right field line to score Romano and tie the game before Julie Davis singled to score Calcany Blair after falling behind in the count, and the trio of runs gave Sonoma State a 4-3 edge.
Cal State Monterey Bay had a golden opportunity to retake the lead in the fifth when Marissa Hukkanen led off with a single and Courtney Hennings doubled to the wall in right center. But the middle of the Otter order couldn't find a way to get either runner home.
Sonoma State's Balanon knocked her ninth home run of the season to cap the game's scoring, as her shot over right field made it 5-3 in favor of the Seawolves, advancing the No. 4 seed in the brackets to a Friday matchup with No. 1 UC San Diego. The two teams played a weather-shortened series this season, able to just get in two of their four games in early March in Rohnert Park, that resulted in a season split.
Prior to the game, Cal State Monterey Bay sophoore pitcher Ellie Bauer was recognized as the CCAA Championship Scholar, given to the student-athlete competing at every championship-sponsored final site with the highest gpa. The San Rafael native holds a 4.0 in her studies in psychology.
| Game 3: No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino 7, No. 2 Chico State 5 |
Box Score |
CSUSB postgame
Defending CCAA tournament champion and No. 2 seed Chico State opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Amanda Flores lined a one-out RBI single to left field, knocking in Kristin Worley. CCAA Newcomer and Pitcher of the Year Brooke Larsen followed with a sacrifice fly to chase home Wendy Cardinali, giving the Wildcats a quick 2-0 lead, but the advantage didn't last long.
Cal State San Bernardino was able to rough up the league's top pitcher in the top of the second as Samantha Vacko and Jamiana Gateb followed a Kiana Abellera single with back-to-back two-RBI doubles. Already up 5-2, the Coyotes tacked on two more in the fifth as Claudia Lopez powered a two-run homer over the fence and force a change in the circle for the Wildcats.
Unwilling to go quietly into the night, Chico State put together a late rally starting in the bottom of the sixth. With two aboard, Sam Mulock—making only her fifth plate appearance of the season—ripped a two-out single to straightaway center field to drive in Ari Marsh.
Still down 7-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, Rachel Atkins' pinch-hit solo homer—the first round-tripper of her Wildcats career—and a two-out RBI single by Marsh suddenly pulled the Wildcats to within two. With two outs and the tying runs aboard, Flores smoked a sinking liner to center field, but a diving catch by CCAA Player of the Year Morgan Ratliff snuffed out the late-inning rally, and allowed San Bernardino to hang on for the 7-5 victory.