By Alex Franco
Sports Editor
CSUSM’s very own No. 1-ranked softball team carried a 10 game winning streak and 23 game home winning streak into the 2013 Cougar Clash at CSUSM as the Lady Cougars hosted Arizona Christian, Hope International and La Sierra for the two-day softball event.
Friday, March 1, was the start of the clash when Arizona took first swing at the top ranked Cougars against All-American Cortney Allen. Allen demonstrated why she is considered one of the best in the nation at her position as she kept Arizona Christian’s bats silent for four innings on her way to an 11-1 pitching record in this early softball season.
Olivia Lucatuorto began the scoring in the clashes opener with an RBI double in the first inning to score Kaitlin McGinley and finish the game 2-2 with a pair of RBI’s. The offense was powered by right fielder Patricia Banda who helped bring in 4 of the Cougars total runs going 1-2 with a double.C
SUSM would win the game 11-0 and face Hope International in the second game of day 1. Banda would once again be the driving force of the Cougar offense has she brought in the game’s first 2 runs against Hope International.
Alex Miller led the team going 3-4 with 2 doubles and a RBI on the day. Allen pitched another shutout in game 2, this time going six innings and striking out 5, carrying the team to 5-0 victory in the first days final game for CSUSM.
Sunday picked up where Friday left off when the Cougars would take on Arizona Christian for the second time. CSUSM scored a bevy of runs in the first 3 innings of the match led by Tani Leasau and Taylor Ybarra’s third inning homeruns that brought in 2 runs apiece. Ybarra had a triple on the day as well finishing 3-3 with 3 RBI’s beating Arizona Christian 10-1.
Cal State looked to finish the Clash unbeaten as they faced La Sierra in the final clash of the weekend. The Lady Cougars would have to fight from behind this time as La Sierra struck early with 2 runs in the first inning off of pitcher Allen.
CSUSM would answer right back with 2 runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning with Leasau belting a double to left field to score Lucatuorto and Banda. Alex Miller would give the Cougars the lead in the following inning with a steal attempt of second base that allow Brittney Guy to score to put them up 3-2, a lead they wouldn’t give back winning 8-2.
Leasau and Brogan Hoenisch led the way for the offense both going 2-4, helping Cortney Allen pick up her fourth win of the weekend. Allen pitched both games Sunday afternoon striking a total of 8 batters. “We are a young, growing team and we have some growing pains right now but we came away with four wins this weekend and that’s what’s important,” Head Coach Dave Williams said on his team’s performance this weekend. “We just have to work on being mentally prepared the day of the game and be ready to play.”
Coach Williams also says the young Cougar squad feels no pressure to perform and win being ranked atop the NAIA polls and have tucked it away and is just focusing and getting better each week.