TURLOCK -- Cal State San Bernardino opened up an early 4-0 lead against San Francisco State Saturday and held on for a 4-3 women's softball victory -- the team's first of the 2009 season -- on the second day of the Mizuno Best of the West Tournament at Pedretti Park.
    The Coyotes, 2-4 on the season, then lost to Notre Dame de Namur 2-1 on Saturday and closed out the tournament on Sunday, beating Chico State 3-2 and losing to UC San Diego 2-1.
     All games on Friday were rained out and will not be made up, said tournament officials.
    Rachel Lopez (1-1) pitched four innings, allowing just two hits and one run, to get the victory with relief help from freshman Carly Land and senior Debbie Shisler. Shisler picked up the save after pitching 1.2 innings of hitless relief, striking out two batters.
    The Coyotes had just six hits in the game but made them count. SFSU got just five hits in the seven-inning contest.
    CSUSB made it 2-0 in the first inning as Priscilla Curiel singled, advanced to second on a walk to Ashley Collinwood and scored on an error by Gators pitcher Kendra Wood. Stefanie Pace then singled in Collinwood for the second run.
    In the third, Alex Mitchell walked to lead off the inning, stole second and third and scored on Curiel's double to left. Felicia Cervantes singled in Curiel.
    SFSU made it 4-1 in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Kelsey Wood and then closed the gap to 4-3 with two runs in the sixth off Land as Karolyn Gubbine singled and Kendra Wood homered to left center. 
    Shisler came on to quell the rally by striking out one batter and getting the final out on a come-backer to the circle.
    The Coyotes played errorless ball in the field.
    In the loss to UC San Diego on Sunday, the Coyotes took a 1-0 lead in the third on Courtney Wilhelms'
run-scoring double, driving in Shisler who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
    The Tritons were  held scoreless by CSUSB starter Carly Land until the fifth when Kristyn Lesovsky tied the game with an RBI single. UCSD then scored what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the sixth on Allison May's RBI single off Shisler, who relieved Land.
    Christine Zankich pitched a complete game for UCSD to earn the win despite giving up six walks and five hits.
    Head Coach Tacy Duncan said Sunday that the team played a non-conference, non-tournament game  on Saturday night against Cal State Monterey Bay and won the game to improve to 3-4 on the season, but details won't be forthcoming until the Otters official scorer turns in her book.