Cougars Softball Drops Doubleheader at Cal State San Bernardino
February 17, 2007

Courtesy Cal State San Bernardino Sports Information Office

Complete Box Scores »» Game 1     Game 2

SAN BERNARDINO -- Junior right-hander Tawni Baker pitched a 1-hit shutout in game one and senior outfielder Michelle Calderon went 4-for-4 with two home runs and drove in four runs in game two as Cal State San Bernardino defeated Cal State San Marcos 3-0 and 13-4 in a non-conference softball doubleheader Saturday at Coyote Park.

The Coyotes are 7-5 on the season while the fledgling Cougars team with 11 freshman aboard in its first year of intercollegiate play, is now 1-8.

Baker, a former star at Mount San Antonio College, evened her 2007 record at 2-2 with a near perfect performance. She pitched to the minimum 21 batters, struck out seven and didn't walk a batter and her defense committed no errors.

The only runner to reach base against Baker was shortstop Samantha Valenzuela who singled in the third but was doubled up when Malarie Barnard lined out to center and the throw to first beat Valenzuela back to the bag.

Cal State San Marcos' pitcher Melissa Lerno allowed only five hits in her six innings of work while walking four and striking out four.

In the CSUSB second Megan Spano tripled to left, driving in Crystal Fraijo who had walked. In the third, Jamie Lowe squeezed home Michelle Calderon with a perfect bunt for a 2-0 lead. The Coyotes tacked on an insurance run in the fifth when Leslie Carrasco walked with the bases loaded.

Cal State San Marcos got its first run of the day in the top of the first in game two as Erica Coelho walked, advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed ball and then scored on Elizabeth Bush's single. With two on and one out, Amanda Sanchez lined into a double play to end the inning.

The Coyotes then greeted Cougars starter Coelho with eight runs in the bottom of the first, of which only four were earned thanks in part to two outfield fly balls that were dropped for errors. Michelle Calderon led off the inning with a liner over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 1-1 and Calderon came back up later in the inning and slugged a two-run homer to cap the eight-run inning.

Fraijo drove in a run with a single in the second and the Coyotes tacked on three more in the third to lead 12-1 with RBI singles from Krista Hernandez and Fraijo. The third run came home on an error.

In the Coyotes' fourth, Jocelyn Perry walked, Lindsey Calderon ran for her and scored on sister Michelle Calderon's double to the gap in right center for a 13-1 advantage.

After the Cougars scored twice in the fifth with nobody out, Maddy Pulido came on in relief of freshman starter Ashley Collinwood and gave up one run but retired the side to end the game. Tasha Stokes drove in two runs with a single. Holly Russell drove in the other run. Collinwood (1-1) yielded just four hits but walked six in her four-inning stint.

Fraijo was 3-for-3 with three RBI in the game while Lowe was 2-for-3 with two RBI.

The Cougars hit the diamond next when they play in the Cal Baptist Tourney next Thursday through Saturday.