Down but not out, the Cal State San Marcos softball Cougars rallied from a tough opening-day loss to sweep Biola University in back-to-back must-win games Friday, claiming their spot in the NCAA Division II National Championships for the first time since 2023. After dropping Thursday's opener to the Eagles 7-1, the Cougars responded with a 10-2 blowout and a gutsy 6-3 win in 11 innings at CSUSM Softball Field, finishing 55-18 on the season.
Game 2: CSUSM 10, Biola 2
With their season on the line, the Cougars came out swinging. Zoe Karam led the charge, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, four RBIs, and a three-run home run, her 19th of the year, emphatically setting the tone after Thursday's disappointment. Jillian Albayati went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, and Czar Fleischman added two RBIs. In the circle, starter Jordan Hill (18-4) was masterful, throwing five shutout innings while allowing just three hits and no walks. After the 7-1 drubbing the day before, it was exactly the kind of response the team needed.
Zoe Karam swings away. Photo credit: Greg Siller / CSU San Marcos Athletics
Game 3 Decider: CSUSM 6, Biola 3 (11 innings)
Still one win away from elimination, the Cougars found themselves in yet another survival situation, and had to dig even deeper to get through it. The teams played to a 1-1 tie through five innings, then went scoreless through the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th. Each team scored once in the 10th to push it to 2-2.
Finally, in the top of the 11th, the Cougars broke through. Kaila Siu delivered the big blow with a two-run triple, then came around to score on a Biola defensive error to cap a four-run inning. Biola made it interesting with a run in the bottom of the 11th, but the Cougars held on. Albayati was again outstanding, going 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI across a marathon afternoon, while Rae D'Amato went 3-for-4.
After staring down elimination twice in one day, the Cougars now head to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they'll open play at Jim Frost Stadium against West Texas A&M on Thursday, May 28 at 10:30 a.m.
Top photo: Greg Siller/ CSU San Marcos Athletics
