TURLOCK — Two hard-fought battles Friday marked the first softball games played at Warrior Field in more than 700 days, as the Stanislaus State softball team opened California Collegiate Athletic Association play with two two-run defeats at the hands of visiting Cal State San Marcos, 8-6 and 7-5.
 
Lauryn Serda had multiple hits in both games, going 4 for 6 with a double and two runs scored in the doubleheader. Madison Flexser also had hits in both games, going 3 for 6 with an RBI and two runs scored overall.
 
Stanislaus State faced multi-run deficits in both games, but fought to come back late and score 10 total runs in the sixth and seventh innings of the two games.
 
"They're just showing a ton of fight right now," said first-year head coach Aja Scheuber, a Turlock native who on Friday hosted the first home games of her tenure at Stanislaus State. "I think they're still finding out a lot about themselves. I think they're shocking themselves, and they're kind of like, 'Whoa, this is us,' and this has always been them, it's just being pulled out now and they're starting to see, so they're raising their expectations of themselves.
 
"On hard-fought losses like this, they beat themselves up even though I'm over here proud as heck for fighting back. Coming back from an eight-run deficit? That shows a lot of character and a lot of fight. And then coming back (in game two) in one of the last innings; they're right there. They're shocking not only themselves, but a lot of other teams."
 
The Cougars (8-1, 2-0 CCAA) collected 26 hits with three home runs and two doubles in the doubleheader. Savannah Coyle (4-1) picked up both wins in the circle for CSUSM, throwing a combined eight innings with 10 strikeouts, no walks and only one earned run allowed (two total). Paige Donnelly led the Cougars' offense on the day, going a combined 5 for 8 with a double, two home runs, six RBIs and two runs scored.
 
GAME ONE
 
Save for a three-run home run in the fifth inning by Cal State San Marcos, Friday's game one could have been a very different contest.
 
Stanislaus State had held the Cougars to only one run through four innings, pitching around some early traffic and keeping it at 1-0. CSUSM started the fifth with three consecutive singles to make it 2-0, and with the earlier navigation through a bounty of base runners, it still felt like the Warriors were in control.
 
But one swing of the bat from Donnelly changed everything.
 
Donnelly turned a close, 2-0 game, into a dominant 5-0 lead in the fifth with a three-run shot over the left field wall. With the momentum from the homer, the Cougars added three more in the sixth and led 8-0, on the verge of a run-rule victory.
 
And still, the Warriors kept fighting.
 
Serda led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and later came in on Sarah Warden's RBI single, scoring Stan State's first run and keeping the game from ending early. That opened the doors for the Warriors to rally in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Stanislaus State scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh, capitalizing on two CSUSM errors that allowed four total runs to score. The rally started with back-to-back leadoff walks from DalBianco and Sidney Crippen-Lay, followed by back-to-back singles from Fitch and Madison Flexser, which made it 8-2. Consecutive two-run errors made it 8-6, and Stan State still had a runner in scoring position, the tying run at the plate and only one out.
 
But Coyle settled down after that, closing out her own victory with two strikeouts in a row to preserve the 8-6 series-opening win.
 
GAME TWO
 
Stan State starter Delaney Pamplin was dominant from the circle in the nightcap. She only allowed two base runners through the first three innings. And even after CSUSM loaded the bases and took the lead in the fourth, she only allowed one earned run and left the bases loaded to avoid further damage.
 
The Warriors rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth. CSUSM led 4-1, and the Warriors loaded the bases with no outs thanks to a leadoff single from Serda and two free passes (walk, hit-by-pitch). Melissa Spencer had the biggest knock of the rally, clearing the bases with a three-run triple and tying the game at 4-4. Karli DalBianco followed with a go-ahead single just two pitches later, and Stan State led, 5-4.
 
Cal State San Marcos answered right back in the final inning, getting an RBI single from Donnelly to tie the game at 5-5. R Steiner had what would end up being the game-winning shot – a two-run, go-ahead homer to make it 7-5.
 
Stanislaus State still fought to the end, bringing the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. But a hard-hit ball was lined straight to the first baseman, who stepped on the first base bag for a game-ending double play.
 
"This was a very tough team, very good team," said Scheuber. "They're starting out very well. I think we definitely held our own, and I think we shocked them a bit. The look of their celebration in the last game… I think we shocked the heck out of them.
 
"I'm just super proud of the way they're playing, super proud of them buying in to what I'm trying to instill in them within a short amount of time – not even two months – and they're gonna get it. They're right there."
 
The series concludes Saturday with another doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m., with the second game to follow 30 minutes after. Fans can find all live coverage links on WarriorAthletics.com.