Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
SAN BERNARDINO — Britney Butler tied the school record for home runs in a single-season in the final game of the regular season as Cal State San Bernardino split games with UC San Diego, dropping the first one 5-2 and winning the second 6-3.
Butler hit her 14th home run of the season in her last at bat in the top of the fifth inning of the nightcap. The freshman from Riverside, Calif., tied Krista Hernandez (2004, 2006) and Nicole Camarena (2008). Butler might have a chance to break it if the Coyotes (27-27, 19-16 CCAA) can get an at-large bid to the NCAA West Regional which hasn't completely been ruled out.
Tacy Duncan also picked up a career-record 19th win in California Collegiate Athletic Association victory. The Coyotes' head coach had a previous high of 18 conference wins in 2007. Duncan also matched that 2007 record at 27-27.
UCSD opened the game with a lead off home run by Kris Lesovsky to put the Tritons on top 1-0 before the Coyotes tied with a bases loaded single by Priscilla Curiel in the bottom half of the inning.
The Tritons took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third on a suicide squeeze by Nicole Saari. UCSD added two more in the top of the sixth on sacrifice fly by Katie Belanger and a Sarah Woofter single to right field to lead 4-1. The Tritons took advantage of a pair of Coyote errors in the seventh to climb out to a 5-1 advantage.
CSUSB tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a run on an Ashley Collinwood sacrifice fly to left to bring home Alyssa Flores from third to make it 5-2.
The Coyotes failed to push any more runs across the plate as Camille Gaito tossed the complete game, allowing two runs on eight hits. Brianne Godfredson fell to 10-7 on the year with the loss.
Curiel went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
UCSD jumped out a 1-0 lead in the nightcap, but Collinwood gave the Coyotes the first lead of the game with her fifth of the season to put CSUSB up 2-1 in the bottom of the second. The Tritons tied it with Lesovsky's second home run of the day, but CSUSB took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third with a single down the left field line by Jamie Leffingwell.
The Tritons tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth when Rhiannon Ousley hit a solo shot to dead center.
Courtney Wilhelms put the Coyotes back on top at 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth when she hit a two-run shot, her third of the year, to left field before Butler hit the record-tying home run to give CSUSB a 6-3 lead.
Eric Prentice (6-5) picked up the complete game victory allowing just three runs on four hits in seven innings of work.
It was also the last game at Coyote Softball Park for seniors Collinwood and Stefanie Quinn.
