Pitchers Shine as Bracket Goes Bust in Day 2 on the Diamond
Tournament Central >>>
SEASIDE, Calif. – In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, the first two teams out of the 2019 CCAA Softball Tournament are the top two seeds in the bracket.
No. 1 UC San Diego enjoyed yesterday off, opening play in Friday’s first game. After falling in their tournament opener, the Tritons had to play the nightcap, and again suffered defeat to bow out. In the day’s middle contest, No. 2 Chico State was also hung with its second loss in the brackets, succumbing to No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay to also depart early and await their NCAA postseason fate and seeding.
Nos. 3 through 6 are still alive from Seaside with the final team to enter to tournament remaining as the only squad without a loss to their name. The Coyotes earned a day away from the diamond with the pair of victories and will next take on No. 4 Sonoma State and the pair meet up for the opportunity to secure a spot in the championship game on Saturday.
Action from the diamond 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 4: No. 1 UC San Diego vs. No. 4 Sonoma State |
Box Score |
SSU postgame
Sonoma State came back from a 4-0 deficit in the top of the first to beat top-seeded, nationally-ranked No. 13UC San Diego to win 5-4 in eight innings.
After a 1-2-3 inning to begin the game by starting pitcher Robyn Wampler, UC San Diego jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first. Maddy Lewis and Danica Kazakoff capitalized on the struggling Sonoma State starting pitcher, drawing walks. Then, All-CCAA First Team honoree Keila Bosinger made the Seawolves pay with a towering blast over the left field fence.
UC San Diego continued to take advantage of the Seawolves’ struggles, as Sherriah Harrington took first after being hit by a pitch. Still without an out in the inning, Sonoma State swapped pitchers.
The next batter, Clarissa Reynoso, was able to reach on a fielder’s choice to the Seawolf second baseman, who muffed the throw and allowed Harrington to safely reach second.
Mikaila Reyes then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, and Alyssa Wing’s single to right field brought Harrington home for the Tritons’ final run of the inning. After the first, UC San Diego held a 4-0 advantage.
The Seawolves answered with a big second innings cutting the Tritons lead to 4-3 with four hits. Jordyn Martinez led off the inning with a single to left field, followed by a sacrifice bunt for Jordann White to move Martinez into scoring position. Nicole Renner went deep in the count, drawing a full-count walk to place Seawolves on first and second. Cassidy Romano doubled to left center to bring Martinez across the plate. Then, RBI singles by Lindsey Calcany Blair and Alee Balanon added two to the board to bring the Seawolves within one.
Brielle Vidmar entered the game in early relief and tossed eight shutout innings. Cameron Kirtlan knocked her fifth homer of the season over right field to knot up the game 4-4 in the third, and that’s where the score would remain.
Sonoma State almost broke the tie in the fifth, but Danielle Stedman helped keep the knotted with a leaping catch at the center field fience to rob the Seawolves of a home run.
In the extra frame, Renner knocked in Kirlan in the top of the eighth inning to give the No. 4 seed the advantage and UC San Diego was unable to answer, after Brieille Vidmar secured the victory after being down in the count 2-0 to get a strikeout looking to cap the game. Vidmar tossed eight innings of relief, allowing four hits, and striking out four while keeping the Tritons scoreless after the big first inning.
Sonoma State advances to take on No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino, guaranteeing a lower seed a spot in Sunday’s championship game.
| Game 5: No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay vs. No. 2 Chico State |
Box Score |
CSUMB postgame |
CHICO postgame
Cal State Monterey Bay stayed alive in the brackets after junior Hayley Fein tossed a 5–hitter to vanquish defending champion Chico State 3–1 in an elimination game Friday on their home field.
Cal State Monterey Bay, the No. 5 seed in the tournament, advances to play an elimination game against No. 3 seed San Francisco State Saturday at noon. The winner of that will play later Saturday for the right to advance to Sunday's championship game.
Fein was masterful Friday, shutting the door after allowing an unearned run in the first inning. She finished strong with 6 1/3 shutout innings of 2–hit ball to out–duel CCAA Pitcher of the Year Brooke Larsen for the win.
Chico State took the early lead by plating an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, as Ari Marsh reached on a two-out error, advanced to third on back-to-back singles by Amanda Flores and Brooke Larsen, and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Bailey Akins.
After yielding the early run, the Otters took the lead in the third inning. Marissa Hukkanen led off with a single and Nikki Jones followed with a walk. Each moved up 60 feet with two outs before Chico shortstop Kristin Worley misplayed a Lusi Stanley chopper in front of second base, allowing both runners to score.
Fein added her own insurance run by leading off the sixth inning with a double before scoring on a Savanna Salyer Kovacs sacrifice fly, sending the Wildcats home to await Monday’s NCAA Championship Tournament selection show to see where they’ll play and who they’ll face next.
| Game 6: No. 3 San Francisco State 3, No. 1 UC San Diego 0 |
Box Score |
SFSU postgame |
UCSD postgame
Emily Mitchell twirled a complete game shutout in the nightcap as No. 3 seed San Francisco State downed No. 1 UC San Diego to send the regular-season champions home after seeing the diamond in Seaside on just one day.
San Francisco State got on the scoreboard early, plating two runs in the bottom of the first. CCAA Freshman of the Year Brylynn Vallejos led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle and advanced to second on Michelle Castro's groundout. Nina Revoir plated her for the first run on a single to left, and Katelyn Sturm then made it 2-0 with a double off the top of the left field wall.
UC San Diego’s Danielle Stedman limited the damage, laying out to make a crucial grab in center field for the third out of the inning to halt the Gators’ scoring chances, keeping San Francisco State at two.
In the second, Sydney Jenkins led off with a four-pitch walk and Vallejos doubled to left center. Two batters later, Castro dropped down a perfect bunt as the Gators pulled off a squeeze play to score Jenkins to widen the lead to 3-0. That second-inning run would prove to be the final scoring play of the contest as a pitcher’s duel ensued.
For Mitchell, a junior from Reno, Nevada, the two-hit shutout was just the third time the Tritons have been blanked at the plate this season. She struck out three and allowed just two hits, one each in the first to innings of the day. The final five saw UC San Diego come up empty.
After coming in to relieve Alanna Phillips after the first inning, UC San Diego’s Robyn Wampler also showed her prowess in the circle. The sophomore from Berkeley allowed just one hit and one unearned run in the second, striking out four in her five innings of work.
Now, the Gators stand as the highest remaining seed in the brackets and will face a quick turnaround taking on No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay in Saturday’s noon contest with both squads looking to stave off elimination yet again.