Softball Splits Hard-Fought Doubleheader with Dominican U.
March 4, 2007

Complete Box Scores »» Game 1    Game 2

Cougar softball picked up the first home win in program history on Sunday, defeating Dominican University 9-2 in game one of a doubleheader. They nearly made it a clean sweep, but a late rally came up just short, and the Cougars dropped game two 6-5.

A large crowd of CSUSM fans showed up at Mission Hills High to cheer on the team, and they enjoyed two well-played games by the Cougars, though things started off a little rocky. CSUSM ace Melissa Lerno allowed two runs in the first two innings - not so much because of her pitching, but because of her glove. The first run came in on a comebacker she knocked down but couldn't get the out on, and the second came on a throwing error. Not one to get rattled, Lerno stranded two runners in the second with a strikeout.

And after the initial troubles, she settled down to dominate the Dominican lineup. Over the final five innings of the game, Lerno allowed just two hits and no runs. She struck out 8 on the day en route to picking up her second win on the season.

At the plate, the Cougar bats caught fire in the second inning and never cooled off. Erica Coelho got the first big hit, driving a double to left center. Holly Russell then crushed a ball at the leftfielder, who dropped it, allowing Coelho to score. Russell came in to score on a Leilani Madrigal groundout, tying the game at 2.

A Danielle Tucker single got the following inning started, and an error led to runners at second and third for the Cougars. After a couple outs, Coelho delivered in the clutch, hitting a single to right field that plated both runs and made the game 4-2.

The Cougars would take the lead in the fourth thanks to some more clutch hitting. Leilani Madrigal and Elizabeth Bush singled, and they advanced to scoring position with two outs. Lerno came to the plate, and came through with a single of her own, scoring both runs. Tasha Stokes followed that with an RBI base hit, making the score 7-2.

Erica Coelho got the fifth started with a booming triple to right center. After Holly Russell was hit by a pitch, Coelho was tagged out at the plate on a fielder's choice. But it wouldn't affect the Cougars, as Elizabeth Bush sliced a two-out two-run double down the left field line to cap off the scoring at 9-2.

For the game, Bush and Coelho were both 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Coelho was just a home run shy of the cycle.

Game two saw the Cougars once again fall behind early, but this time they fell just short of coming back. Coelho's hitting success didn't carry over to the mound, as she was touched up for three runs in the first inning. After an error to leadoff the inning and a single, Amber Lara tripled down the left field line to score both runs. She came in to score on a Shanan Markley single.

It took a Houdini-esque escape for the Cougars to get out of the second unscathed, but they pulled it off. After a leadoff walk, the runner was caught stealing - which proved crucial, because that was followed with a walk, single, and another walk to load the bases with just the one out and Lara at the plate. She drove a fly ball to center field, but Danielle Tucker was there to track it down - and fire a strike to catcher Tasha Stokes, who blocked the plate brilliantly and applied the tag for the third out.

The Cougars would get one back in the third, but it could have been more. Singles by Amanda Sanchez and Malarie Barnard and a walk to Leilani Madrigal loaded the bases with one out with the Cougars' leading hitter Elizabeth Bush at the plate. But Dominican U. starter Courtney Parks struck her out, making two outs in the inning. Danielle Tucker came through with a run-scoring single capping off what was a great at-bat, but the Cougars couldn't push any more runs across and still trailed 3-1.

Dominican would push the lead to 4-1 in the third, knocking Coelho out of the game as Coach Jen Milo called in Lerno to the mound for the second time on the day. She would be greeted with a bunt single by Ashley Mills, who eventually came around to score and make the game 5-1. The Cougars got the run back in the bottom of the inning though, as Holly Russell led off with a bunt single of her own, and Malarie Barnard blasted a double to left center to score her.

After a scoreless fifth, Dominican picked up a key run in the 6th on a Jessica Talman double. It would prove crucial because the Cougars would push across three runs of their own in the sixth, making the game 6-5. The comeback was started by singles by Leilani Madrigal and Danielle Tucker; then the big blow came in when Lerno drilled a triple to the centerfield wall. Tasha Stokes promptly singled Lerno in to cut the deficit to one.

But that's as close as the Cougars would get, as the team could not bring home the tying run in the 7th despite having a runner on second and one out. Still, plenty of Cougars had solid games: Tucker, Stokes, Barnard, and Madrigal all had two hits.

If you want to catch some great softball action in San Marcos, the squad's next home game is March 17th against Point Loma at noon.