[Box score]

Cal State San Marcos staved off elimination at the 2023 NCAA Softball Championships with a 3-2 win over Wilmington in the first game of the day on Saturday.
 
The Cougars overcame a 1-0 deficit with a three-run fourth inning and held on for the program's first win at the NCAA national championships.
 
The first three batters of the fourth inning all reached, bringing Ryann Steiner to the plate for CSUSM. The catcher did not have to lift the bat off her shoulder as she watched four pitches sail outside the zone to earn the walk and force in Madison Waymire as the game-tying run. They plated two more runs on a fielder's choice groundout, where the second baseman threw it away, allowing both runners to score.
 
Savannah Coyle went the distance for the Cougars. The sophomore lefty allowed four hits and two runs (one earned) in seven innings. She did not walk a batter and struck out four. Coyle improved to 16-7.
 
Cal State San Marcos will continue its journey through the elimination bracket this afternoon. They will face the tournament's No. 2 seed, Central Oklahoma, at 1 p.m.