TURLOCK —
Aliyah Garvin's grand slam homer in game two answered Cal State San Marcos' four-run rally as the Warriors completed the Saturday doubleheader and series sweep over the visiting Cougars.
Just as when it appears CSUSM may finally get a win to avoid the sweep with a four-run fourth, the Warriors responded with a five-run home half of the frame en route to a 10-9 series finale victory. Stanislaus State won game one 3-1 with the top four hitters in the lineup doing all of the damage.
The Warriors, winners of four straight and 8 of last 9 games, improved to 22-14 overall and 13-9 in the CCAA. They have moved into sole possession of fourth place in the standings, trailing third place Sonoma State by 1 1/2 game. Sonoma State is Stan State's next opponent with a four-game series in Turlock, April 6-7.
Garvin, who homered in Friday's nightcap, changed the game with one swing in Saturday's series finale. Trailing 5-2, Garvin worked the count to 3-2 before hitting another line-drive homer to left to make it 6-5. For the game, Garvin went 3-for-4 with six RBI and for series, she was 6 of 15 with 10 RBI, a double and two homers. She also accounted for 13 of the team's 19 runs in two days.
Stan State added on four more runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 10-5, but CSUSM didn't go away. The Cougars, trying hard to avoid the four-game sweep, pushed for four more runs on four hits in the sixth to challenge the Warriors.
Lindsay Cerulle and Rae Camez each had two hits for Cal State San Marcos (8-29, 4-23 CCAA) in the game.
Kristin Borst pitched well in the first five innings before trouble in the sixth. She earned the win in the circle in game one and
Kylie Ragsdale was the winner in relief in game two.
The Warriors batted .327 while posted a 2.50 ERA against the Cougars in the series.
The four-game CCAA sweep over two days is the Warriors' first at home since taking all four games against CSUSM back in Feb. 19-20, 2016. The Warriors also beat Cal State East Bay four times that season but the doubleheaders were a month apart due to weather. In 2017, the Warriors swept Cal State Dominguez Hills in four games on the road.
