TURLOCK -- Cal State San Bernardino's softball team accomplished something Friday none of its predecessors have done since the athletic programs moved to NCAA Division II -- advance to the post-season.
    The Coyotes' 3-2 win over Cal State Stanislaus in game one of their CCAA doubleheader, combined with a doubleheader loss that eliminated UC San Diego from contention for the fourth spot in next week's CCAA championship tournament, put the Coyotes in the event next week at Humboldt State.
    The host Lumberjacks will compete in the double elimination event along with the Coyotes, Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Monterey Bay.
    Despite sweeping a doubleheader from San Francisco State Friday, Cal State Dominguez Hills was eliminated from contention for the fourth spot because the best it can do is finish 17-15 for a .531 winning percentage. CSUSB is 16-12 with two games left against the Warriors on Saturday. Even if they lose two and finish at 16-14, their final winning percentage is .533, good for fourth place in the CCAA.
    "We want to win those two games because it could help us qualify for the NCAA (West) Regional," said a jubilant third-year coach Tacy Duncan. The Coyotes are ranked No. 9 in the latest regional poll and only the top eight advance to the regional tournament that begins in two weeks.
    UCSD and Dominguez Hills are virtual locks for the regional because they are currently seeded in the top five with better overall records on the season. Cal State Stanislaus has also virtually locked up a regional tournament slot as has Humboldt State.
    In game one, the Coyotes rallied from a 2-0 deficit with three runs in the fifth and Tawni Baker pitched three inings of two-hit relief and struck out seven to earn her third save of the season, giving the win to senior Jackie Jacob (11-7). Cassidy Lee started and yielded two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings.
    The Warriors took the lead in the fourth as Casey Stephenson led off with a home run off Lee and the second run scored on a hit batter with the bases loaded. However Jacob got Jackie Barcal to foul out to end the threat, stranding three runners.
    In the Coyotes fifth, CSUSB took the lead courtesy of an RBI single by Tayler Wilson, an RBI double by Jordan Dahl and a Stanislaus error that allowed Dahl to score.
    Baker struck out the side in the sixth and struck out two of three batters in the seventh to close the door on the Warriors. Ashley Collinwood and Tori Beaudette each were two-for-three for CSUSB in the big win that clinched a CCAA tournament berth.
    In game two, CSUSB went on top 1-0 in the second when Debbie Shisler singled, stole second and scored on a Stanislaus error on a ground ball hit by Sara Bird.
    The Warriors then scored four runs on three hits and an error in the second off Shisler and Lee before Jacob came on to get the final two outs without further damage.
    Jacob then dominated the Warriors, pitching 4.2 innings of one-hit relief as CSUSB tried to get back into the game. The Coyotes left two runners in scoring position in the the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before finally coming up with two runs in the seventh to make it 4-3.
    After Wilson reached on an error and took second, she moved to third on a wild pitch. Dahl walked, then stole second and went to third as Wilson scored on a throwing error by the Stanislaus catcher. Jamie Lowe then scored Dahl with a single up the middle.
    However, Warriors reliever Jessica Gaumnitz got Collinwood to ground into a double play and induced a popup to shortstop from the bat of Nicole Camarena for the final out to preserve the Stanislaus win.
    The Coyotes are 31-27-1 overall in 2008. Stanislaus is 26-20, 19-11 in the CCAA.