The Jacks’ record now stands at 36-14 overall and 13-7 in California Collegiate Athletic Association softball play, maintaining its one-game lead over UC San Diego in the standings. Cal State San Bernardino now 27-25-1 overall and 12-10 in the CCAA.
“We should have taken both,” Humboldt State head softball coach Frank Cheek said. “Now our team knows they have to battle to stay at the top of the conference.”
In Saturday’s opener, Humboldt State got on the board early, scoring two runs in each of the first two innings to forge ahead, 4-0. Cheek subbed in pitcher Hannah Jones in place of starter Lizzy Prescott in the fifth inning, and the Coyotes responded by scoring four runs in the inning to tie the game.
Presscott re-entered the game, but Debbie Shisler’s RBI double in the sixth put CSUSB on top and provided the margin of victory.
Prescott (27-7) recorded eight strikeouts, three of which came in the top of the fourth, to register the game one loss. The Coyotes’ Tawni Baker (9-7) picked up the victory after pitching three innings in relief, giving up three hits, one walk and striking out one.
The Lumberjacks began their final game of the series copying the day’s opener with consecutive multiple-run innings, this time on a Marissa Slattery two-run single and then off of Caitlin Klug and Natalie Galletly’s RBI singles, in the first and second innings, respectively.
CSUSB scored its lone run of the game on a Jamie Lowe solo homer in the fifth, but that was as close as the Coyotes got. The Jacks answered with two runs in the bottom-half of the inning on Galletly’s two-run single, her fourth hit and third RBI of the game.
The Jacks finished the day racking up 23 hits, while the Coyotes managed 14 hits.
Humboldt State continues its homestand with doubleheaders against second place UC San Diego on Friday and Saturday, scheduled for 1 p.m. and 11 a.m. starts, respectively.
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