California State University San Bernardino Athletics

    ARCATA -- Nicole Camarena drove in six runs with a
home run, double and single Wednesday as Cal State San
Bernardino shocked top-seeded Humboldt State, 10-1, in
the first round of the NCAA Division II West Region
Softball Tournament.
    The Coyotes, 35-30-1, advance to the second round
in the winner's bracket of the double elimination
tournament to face Cal State Dominguez Hills, a 6-4
winner over UC San Diego. The game will be played at
4:30 p.m.
    The Coyotes jumped on Humboldt State ace pitcher
Lizzie Prescott (38-11) for seven of their 10 runs in
a game that ended in the sixth inning via the
eight-run mercy rule.
   Debbie Shisler, who pitched three innings of
one-hit ball to start the game, earned her sixth win
of the season for CSUSB against six losses.
   The Lumberjacks (47-18) will face UC San Diego in
an elimination game at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Ironically, it was the Coyotes who eliminated the
host Lumberjacks from the CCAA conference tournament
last weekend on this same field.
    "This is No. 1," said a jubilant Camarena after
the game, comparing the win and her performance with
other softball highlights in her career. "I was really
nervous before the game. Inside my heart I was so
excited to play them because they are a tough team."
   Camarena admitted she has been pressing in recent
weeks, particularly the plate.
  "It all came together today. I just left it all
out there today." 
    Her homerun in the fourth broke open
a scoreless game and put CSUSB up 2-0, scoring Jordan
Dahl ahead of her. It also tied her with Krista
Hernandez for first place on the Coyotes all-time
single-season home run list with 14. 
    She came up in the fifth and delivered a two-run
single as CSUSB scored three times to lead 5-1. 
    The Coyotes broke it open with five runs in the sixth on a
leadoff home run by pinch-hitter Sara Bird and a solo
blast by Tori Beaudette that forced HSU to bring in
Hannah Jones in relief of Prescott. 
    Jamie Lowe drove in a run and Camarena brought in
two more with a double to right center. Five of the
team's 10 runs were unearned thanks to two costly
Humboldt errors. 
    Prescott was dominant early, striking out 10 and
walking only two before the Coyotes starting putting
the ball in play, finishing with 11 hits. 
    Beaudette and Tayler Wilson each had two hits
for CSUSB. The Coyotes also made some defensive plays
behind the combined pitching of Shisler, Cassidy Lee, 
Jackie Jacob and Tawni Baker. Baker allowed just two
hits in working the fifth and sixth innings. 
    This was the first regional tournament win the
history of the Coyotes softball program in their first
appearance ever in the tournament.